Follow Your Heart
by Snapdragon83
Summary: When Jane fails to take Rich Dotcom's advice, he is forced to take drastic measures to remedy the situation. Written for BSHiatusFics week 3 challenge on tumblr.
1. Chapter 1

I do not own Blindspot or its characters.

* * *

They would always wonder, afterwards, how it was Rich Dotcom had discovered that they were having what he memorably termed "a lover's quarrel."

Not that either of them ever admitted that, even to the other. They both preferred to keep the skeleton of how they had become a couple firmly in the closet, though for very different reasons. The events of those days remained shrouded in mystery to all but the handful of people closest to them, and even they always suspected they weren't getting the full story.

And they were correct.

However, find out about it he did, and in typical Rich Dotcom fashion, he made up his mind to do something about it.

Seven weeks after Jane rejoined the team, they got a tip that Shepherd was going to be meeting an associate of his at one of the few remaining casinos in Atlantic City this evening. Kurt gritted his teeth as he looked at the clock. They would have to leave now in order to make it in time, but Reade and Zapata were more than an hour away in the other direction running down a lead on the case they were currently working. "I guess it's just you and me this time," he said, not looking directly at Jane.

They both had been doing their best to avoid alone time with one another since her return. "I guess it is," she agreed reluctantly, evading eye contact with him as well.

They ascended the stairs to the heliport on the roof in stony silence.

 _Infuriating woman_ , Kurt thought as they started toward the helicopter. It was that preoccupation with Jane that kept him from realizing they were in danger until it was too late. "Who the hell are you?" he started to demand as he realized the flight crew was unfamiliar, but before he could even finish the question, he felt a stinging pain in his neck and fell to his knees as his world started to go dark. He turned to Jane, only to see her beginning to slump over as well.

Her name was the last thing on his lips before he passed out.

He awoke to his worst nightmare.

Kurt groaned as he began to come to. He was laying on something soft, but his head ached unmercifully. His eyes flew open as the memory of his last waking moments returned, and he sucked in a breath at the sight before him.

Jane was asleep on the bed next to him, her face mere inches from his.

 _What the hell . . ._ he started to wonder, but just like earlier, he didn't have the opportunity to complete the thought. The large screen on the wall across from the bed came to life, and Rich Dotcom's cheery face appeared.

"Good morning, Stubbles." Rich's grin widened at the look of absolute fury that descended on Weller's face as it dawned on him who was responsible for his current predicament. He had been anticipating that look for weeks, and Weller didn't disappoint. "I'm sure you're wondering what's going on, so I'll cut right to the chase: I was very upset to learn that you and the missus were having a spat, so I'm providing you with an all-expenses paid vacation to give you the opportunity to iron out your differences."

"I'll pass," Kurt said coldly as he began to take stock of his surroundings. He felt his heart sink as he noticed the bars across windows overlooking a beautiful beach and the doors with no knobs. The furniture was minimal as well: apart from the bed he was currently laying on, there were only two nightstands beside it and a small bookshelf along the far wall.

Nothing that would aid him in an escape.

Rich noticed the grim look that settled on his face as he completed his inspection. "Yeah, no. That's not really an option. And you can forget about leaving until I release you. I had this really dedicated team of contractors that has been working around the clock to finish this suite of rooms just for you. The walls and doors are reinforced with steel, so even if you could find a weapon to bore through the wood—which you won't—it wouldn't do you any good. And as you can see, the windows are escape proof. Also bulletproof, not that you have your guns any longer. Or your cellphones either, though there's no service where you're at."

"Of course not," Kurt muttered viciously, struggling to rein in his temper as he looked at their abductor once more. There was no way the tech genius would make such a rookie mistake. In fact, as far as Kurt could tell from his cursory examination, he hadn't made any mistakes at all. "What do you really want, Rich? What's your real purpose in doing all of this?" No way had a criminal like Rich Dotcom spent so much time and money on a plan to kidnap them simply to repair their relationship; he had to have an ulterior motive for getting them out of the way.

Rich clasped his hands over his heart theatrically. "Now that hurts, Cousin Stu. I go out of my way to give you and your lovely girlfriend a romantic getaway, and how am I rewarded? With hostility and suspicion. I don't expect an invitation to your wedding, but a little gratitude would be in order."

"Jane's _not_ my girlfriend," Kurt said savagely. "And the only thing that you'll get from me is a long stay in a federal penitentiary for kidnapping an assistant director of the FBI."

Rich laughed. "I'll pass," he parroted back to Kurt before turning serious. "So. Here are the rules for your stay. Or really it's only one rule, but it's a very important one. Have you noticed the entryway to the dining room on your left?"

Kurt simply stared at him, stone-faced.

"Right," Rich continued. "I'll take that as a yes. So the door is open at the moment so the two of you can eat dinner, but once you're done, you'll need to leave so the staff can close the door and clean up. That will be done electronically before they enter the room, so don't bother plotting to get the jump on them. It wouldn't do you any good anyway. There are armed guards on the premises who know it's worth their lives if you manage to escape before I tell them to let you go."

"And if we don't leave the room?" Kurt growled.

Rich shrugged. "Then you won't get your next meal. But you still won't be able to get out until I decide to release you, so I'd advise you to reign in your angry little munchkin, and do as I ask. Much better to keep your strength up for other, more pleasurable activities rather than fighting me.

"Oh, don't worry," he continued as Weller stared at him in speechless rage, "much as I would have liked to, I didn't install a security camera in your bedroom. I know that you're not really an . . . _open_ person, so I chose to respect your privacy."

"If you had chosen to respect my privacy, we wouldn't be here," Kurt pointed out, but the observation rolled off Rich like water off a duck's back.

"Sorry, Stubbles, but this lover's quarrel has got to end. It's distracting me from my . . . other obligations, and I'm sure it's disturbing to the kiddoes back at the FBI to see mommy and daddy continuing to fight. Oh, would you look at that," Rich added as Jane began to stir, letting out a soft moan. "The missus is beginning to wake up. You'd better see to her."

"Rich—"

"Don't worry, Stubbles," Rich said sympathetically. "I've provided you with a gourmet chef and all the creature comforts of home. There are spare clothes in the closet for both of you, by the way. Kiss and make up, and this will all be over soon. I'll check in on you again in the morning."

And with that, he was gone.

It was a good thing there wasn't anything at hand to throw, or Kurt would have smashed the now-dark TV screen. He took a deep breath, trying desperately to reign in his temper as Jane came to.

"Kurt?" Jane asked, her brow furrowing in confusion as she saw him propped up in bed next to her. "What happ—" Her voice trailed off as she became fully aware of their proximity and sat up quickly, scrambling to the edge of the bed and almost falling off it in her haste to put some distance between them.

Kurt's eyes widened. Jane definitely hadn't been wearing _that_ when they were abducted. She followed his gaze, glancing down at herself and making an outraged noise in the back of her throat as she caught sight of the skimpy nightgown she was currently clad in. She grabbed for the blanket to cover herself up, and her own eyes grew large as the action inadvertently revealed Kurt's own state of undress.

The look on Jane's face clued him in that she wasn't the only one showing a fair amount of skin. Kurt glanced down at himself, cursing under his breath as he realized his boxers were the only thing Rich's minions had left on him.

"Weller?" Jane asked, her voice an octave higher than normal. "What the hell is going on?"

Kurt hesitated.

"Tell me," she insisted, her voice hard. He was insistent that she not keep any secrets from him and the team, and he damn well could extend her the same courtesy in this situation. Whatever was going on, it affected her just as much as him.

Kurt reluctantly gave her an abbreviated version of his conversation with Rich Dotcom.

Jane couldn't believe her ears. "When hell freezes over," she spat, drawing the blanket more tightly around her to completely shield herself from Kurt's view.

The action wasn't lost on Kurt. "Don't flatter yourself that I'd ever have you, honey," he retorted, wanting to make her hurt as much as he still was. He had the satisfaction of seeing her bite her lip, her face paling a bit before her jaw hardened, but the brief flash of pain in her eyes made the victory hollow.

Jane glanced away to clear her head. Much as she would have liked to hit back at Kurt, she couldn't afford to let this situation devolve into a dogfight, not if she wanted to get out of here and away from him as quickly as possible. Like it or not, the two of them were going to have to put aside their differences and work together if they had any hope of getting the upper hand over Rich Dotcom. "So, umm . . . what do we do now?"

Kurt swung his legs over the side of the bed and got to his feet. "Rich mentioned there were some clothes in the closet for us. I'd suggest we get dressed and eat dinner, then go over every inch of this place to see if we can find a way out." It was unlikely, given the ingenuity of their captor, but he wouldn't be able to rest if he didn't at least try. Not that he would be able to rest well if he failed. The loss of control was already eating at him.

Jane sighed as she got up as well, keeping the blanket wrapped firmly around her. "Well, at least it's nicer than the BHL4 lab at the CDC." She ignored the incredulous look Kurt shot her as she followed him into the walk-in closet.

Both of them were stunned into speechlessness by the assortment of clothes awaiting them there, though upon further reflection, neither of them could say why they were surprised. It was Rich Dotcom, after all.

And his taste was on full display as Jane gingerly held up a bra and panty set that contained so little fabric she wondered what the point would be of even putting it on. "Do women actually wear this stuff?"

" _Some_ women do," Kurt said as he shrugged into a pair of shorts and a tank top that were far more revealing than he'd like. He much preferred Jane's typical underclothes to those little scraps of lace, but he could see that she had misinterpreted his statement. Which was probably for the best. He shouldn't be thinking along those lines at all. His talk with Rich Dotcom had clearly addled his brain. "I'll, uh . . . I'll go see what he's left us for dinner and give you space to get dressed."

 _What for?_ Jane wondered as it occurred to her for the first time just how pointless the blanket had been. He had already seen every inch of her naked and tattooed body, after all. Though to his credit, after his first shocked perusal today, he had kept his eyes above her chest. Whereas she, on the other hand . . .

 _It's not your fault_ , she told herself as she reluctantly donned the underwear and pulled on the most modest tank top and shorts she could find. _He's seen pictures of you naked. You've never seen him without his clothes on_. And he _was_ incredibly good-looking. It was only natural that she had stared.

Kurt had waited to be seated until she joined him, ever the gentleman, even with a woman he despised, and Jane's mouth watered as she eyed the delicious spread. The main dish was some sort of pasta, with breadsticks and stuffed mushrooms, and chocolate-dipped strawberries for dessert. There was even a bottle of wine—uncorked—to go with it. Despite his warning to Kurt earlier, he apparently didn't want to leave them with anything that could be used as a weapon.

Including tableware. Despite the gravity of the situation, Jane couldn't help but smile at Rich's cunning as she noticed the table was set with Styrofoam plates and cups and plastic silverware. It was an incongruous sight with such a fancy meal. "It smells wonderful."

Kurt quirked an eyebrow as she began filling her plate. Clearly, now was not the time to tell her that Rich's omniscience extended to the food he'd had his chef prepare them. Several of these foods were aphrodisiacs. He picked up the wine and poured Jane a glass before serving himself, and they ate, if not in companionable silence, at least not the sharp discord that had marked the majority of their interactions of late.

Contrary to Rich's instructions and no doubt as he'd expected, when they were done, they didn't immediately vacate the dining room. Kurt studied the space closely, but just as Rich promised, it was secure. No surprise there. "Come on," he said to Jane, glancing up at the security camera and wondering if someone was actively monitoring it. If they were being watched at this very moment. "We might as well do as Rich asked. At least for tonight."

Jane followed him back into the bedroom, and Kurt got his answer: the steel door between the rooms instantly slid shut with a snap. He resumed his inspection of their prison, pacing the space with a restless energy reminiscent of their time at the CDC, and Jane meandered over to the bookshelf to try to keep his nerves from getting the best of her as well. She could certainly use a distraction right now.

She picked up one of the books at random. The title read _Fifty Shades of Gray_. "I didn't know there was more than one shade of gray," she muttered as she opened it to a random page and began reading.

Kurt glanced over at her. "What?"

"Nothing," Jane murmured distractedly as she kept reading, her cheeks warming as the words leaped off the page at her, hardly able to believe what she was seeing. She dropped the book back onto the shelf as if it were a hot potato, the thud causing Kurt to whirl around.

He frowned as he took in her red-as-a-beet cheeks. "Jane? What is it?" He glanced from her to the bookshelf she was standing next to and suddenly had a very good idea what it contained. He crossed to her side and picked up the book she had tossed down haphazardly, confirming his suspicions. He replaced the book on the shelf and glanced at the other titles. Unsurprisingly, they were all more of the same. It was a collection of erotica worthy of . . . well, Rich Dotcom.

"Jane," Kurt said with far more gentleness than he had used toward her in as long as either of them could remember, "Rich put us here with one purpose and one purpose alone." He frowned. "Or at least, he wants us to believe that. Everything in here is geared toward . . . toward . . ."

"I get the picture," Jane mumbled, taking a deep breath to cool the burning in her cheeks. "So I take it you didn't find anything that can help us?"

Not unless they wanted to have a month-long orgy. The nightstands were filled with numerous condoms and lubricants and sex toys. All things Rich Dotcom no doubt used on a regular basis, but which Kurt wanted no part of. Well, except for the condoms. "No. There's no apparent way out."

Jane took another deep breath. "Okay then. Let's figure out our next move." Surely if the two of them suspended their differences and put their heads together, they could find a way to thwart Rich's diabolical plan. He couldn't _force_ them to admit their feelings for one another, after all.

Not that they had feelings for one another, of course.

At least not any longer.

Still, by the time they finished working out their plan for the morrow, anyone who had observed them would have believed them to be, if not already a couple, certainly well on their way to that end.

From his post on the other side of the world, Rich Dotcom smiled.

His plan was working just as he had intended it.


	2. Chapter 2

I do not own Blindspot or its characters.

* * *

They woke up the next morning tangled in one another's arms.

Not that it had been any part of their plan for them to do so. They had agreed to play up the part of a loving couple when Rich Dotcom checked in with them later, but this . . . this was closer than they had been in months.

In point of fact, it was closer than they had ever been.

Jane awoke first, surprised to find that she had slept all the way through the night for the first time since escaping from the CIA's black site, but even more stunned to discover the reason why. Sometime during the night, she and Kurt had cuddled up to one another and were now so intertwined that there would be no extricating herself without waking him.

Although one part of him was already . . . up.

Her eyes widened as she felt his hardness against her thigh, and she sucked in a breath. Logically, she knew that it was natural for men to have erections in the morning, but she would have been less than human if a part of her didn't wish it was for her. That the last five months hadn't happened, and the two of them had been able to pursue a romantic relationship uncomplicated by deception and tragedy.

Of course, any chance of that had ended the night Kurt arrested her. The night she had been handed over to the CIA to be thrown into the black hole she'd been threatened with in the past, and forced to endure three months of hell.

But the worst torture of all had been knowing that Kurt was the one who put her there. That all the lives they had saved together—including one another's—all the trust and goodwill and harmony that they had built up, had meant so little to him that he had cast her aside without allowing her to offer one word of explanation.

Even though all she had been trying to do—all she had ever tried to do—was protect him.

Too bad he hadn't thought enough of her to do the same.

Jane's eyes widened as Kurt began to stir, and his arm tightened reflexively around her waist, pulling her impossibly closer. Her head was buried in the crook of his neck, so she couldn't see his expression, but she felt his whole body stiffen when he came awake enough to realize the compromising nature of their position. "Good morning," she said awkwardly.

It was Kurt's turn to roll away from her as if he had been scalded. He came to rest on his back and stared up at the ceiling for a few moments to regain his composure before he could trust himself to speak. "Morning, Jane." Thank god she wasn't making an issue of his . . . interest in her. Though to be fair, it was her fault they had ended up entwined like that.

He had woken up in the night to find her in the throes of a nightmare, whimpering softly. He had cautiously reached out a hand to try to awaken her, not sure how she would react to his touch, but to his surprise, she had rolled right into his arms and promptly gone back to sleep. He had laid awake long after her breathing evened back out, knowing he should detach himself from her but justifying his failure to do so because she might have another bad dream.

And because it felt so damn good to have her in his arms again.

 _What was wrong with him?_ he wondered. _What was it about this woman that drew him in like no other? That made him want to forget all the pain and misery she had caused, and instead sweep her up in his arms and kiss away the haunting shadows that had lingered in her green eyes since her return?_

He didn't know, but one thing was becoming increasingly clear to him: he needed to regain some perspective, and quickly, or Rich Dotcom stood a much better chance of gaining the upper hand in this diabolical game of his.

At least with him.

If he didn't already hold all the cards. Kurt glanced around their sparse prison, wondering what the day would hold. What their odds were of fooling their captor into believing they had worked out their differences. Rich Dotcom was nobody's fool, and he would want to catch them as off-guard as possible when he made contact once more.

They would need to be ready.

And speaking of being ready . . . Kurt turned back to Jane. "Do you want to take a shower first, or should I?"

Jane shrugged. "You go ahead." Normally she was an early riser, but today she was in no hurry to get out of bed. It wasn't as if she had anywhere to go, after all. She might as well make the most out of her enforced idleness.

Kurt headed into the bathroom to do just that. Truth be told, he had intended to sleep in here last night, but Rich had clearly foreseen that possibility and outmaneuvered him once more. There was no bathtub; in fact, the space was barely large enough to turn around in, containing only a toilet and a sink and a small shower. A cupboard containing a plentiful assortment of towels and the same toiletries he used at home ran the length of one wall. He suspected the female products would prove to be Jane's usual brand, as well.

It galled him all the more to realize that Rich—or one of his minions—had invaded his home— _their_ homes—in preparation for this day, and he silently vowed to find a way to add breaking and entering to that bastard's charges once they caught him.

He made quick work of the shower, noting with reluctant amusement that razors were yet another item that Rich had chosen not to provide them with, and wrapped a towel around his waist before heading to the closet to pick out his clothes for the day.

Jane's eyes grew huge as he emerged from the bathroom. "What is it?" Kurt asked. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Jane looked away from him, silently cursing her fair skin as she felt her cheeks begin to turn pink once more. Technically, he had been displaying more skin in the outfit he'd had on earlier, but the sight of his bare chest and the way that towel hugged his hips . . . It really should be a crime for any man to look that good. It made her thoughts wander places they definitely shouldn't go. Places she shouldn't even _want_ them to go. "I, uh . . . I should go get cleaned up myself now." She practically leaped from the bed and scampered into the bathroom before she could make any more of a fool of herself.

 _Turnabout was fair play,_ she decided as she stood under the steaming spray. If she had to have that image of Kurt burned into her brain, it was only fair that he see her parading around in a towel as well. _Of course,_ her traitorous brain reminded her, _he's already seen you in much less than that._ It probably wouldn't affect him at all, but she couldn't resist testing the waters. She couldn't help hoping that he would be just as affected as she had been.

And if the heat in his eyes as she sashayed into the closet to don her own outfit for the day was any indication, he was more than a little appreciative of the sight. She gave him a slight smile as she walked into the closet, but it faded quickly. _What are you doing?_ she asked herself as she pulled on a tank top that displayed significantly more skin than yesterday's and a skimpy pair of shorts. _You haven't even been locked up in here with him twenty-four hours, and you're already trying to push his buttons? You know that can only end badly for you._

But it felt so damn good to have him looking at her as a desirable woman, rather than an object of suspicion and scorn. Maybe she should just enjoy it while it lasted. God knows it hadn't taken long to go up in flames the first time.

Kurt swallowed hard when Jane emerged from the closet. He'd known that she would be more scantily clad than yesterday—both of them had agreed that it would be a necessary part of the ruse they had planned for today, so he had foregone a shirt as well—but even though he had seen pictures of her with even less than that on—with nothing on, in fact—seeing it in person felt entirely new and far more intimate than he had been prepared for.

He motioned to the door that had just slid open and held out a hand to her. "Ready for breakfast?"

 _Yes. No._ Jane nodded as she clasped her fingers in his and tried to ignore the warmth that spread throughout her entire body from that simple touch. She had better get used to it, and quickly. From this moment on, everything they did today would be an act, and this was the least intimate of the touches she would be receiving—and giving.

They had discussed this plan at length last night. If Rich Dotcom was telling the truth about why he had brought them here—and so far, despite Weller's suspicions, they had no evidence to the contrary—then the most expedient way for them to convince him to let them go was to pretend to do as he'd asked.

It had sounded so simple in theory—a few hugs and kisses, a handful of adoring glances, and they would be free to go on their way—but the execution of it was already proving to be something else.

At least for her.

Jane smiled up at Kurt as he pulled out her chair for her, and she sat down. Even though she knew his every move was merely a performance for whomever was monitoring the security camera in here, it was nice to pretend for a moment that they were a normal couple on vacation, sitting down to a romantic breakfast prepared for them by a world-class chef. "Heart-shaped pancakes," she commented as Kurt lifted the lid off her plate and set it aside before taking his own seat. "Rich is really going all out for this."

She had no idea just how all out he was going. Kurt couldn't contain the slight laugh that shook him as he took his first bite, and Jane's eyes narrowed. "What?" she demanded.

Kurt just shook his head and tried to continue eating, but Jane was having none of it. She grabbed his hand as he attempted to bring the fork to his mouth. "Uh-uh. Tell me what's so funny."

"Fine." Kurt hesitated, hoping what he had to say didn't spoil her appetite. She did need to keep her strength up, though not for the reason Rich had insinuated. "You remember how I said last night everything in here was geared to a specific purpose?"

"Yeah." Jane frowned as she took her first bite of pancake and nearly choked on it as his meaning dawned on her. "No! You mean the food . . ."

"Is either an aphrodisiac in and of itself, or contains ingredients that are," Kurt confirmed dryly.

"But that's . . . that's . . ." Jane dropped her fork and stared at her plate as if it were a rattlesnake preparing to strike. She glanced at him, incredulous, as he took another bite. "And you're _eating_ it?"

"It's still just food, Jane," Kurt said patiently. "It can't force you to do anything against your will."

Of course it couldn't. And they both knew he would never choose to be with her of his own free will. Not that she wanted him to, of course. Or that she would choose to be with him if the situation presented itself. Still, if it was _Allie_ Rich had sequestered here with him, they would probably already be making full use of all he had provided.

Well, maybe not everything. They would certainly have no need of the skimpy clothes.

Kurt sighed as Jane's eyes darkened and she dropped her gaze back to her plate, attacking her pancakes with renewed fervor. Clearly, she had misinterpreted his words. He needed to get her back on the same page with him before their plan for the day was ruined. He needed her to see herself as he saw her. "If you think that means I don't physically desire you . . . I think this morning should have made it abundantly clear that the opposite is true," he said bluntly. "I don't need food to make me want you, Jane."

Though wanting her physically and being willing to act on that desire were two very different things.

The silence that descended on the room in the wake of that statement was deafening. Jane's eyes instantly flew to Kurt's, her cheeks burning hotter than she could ever remember them being, ready to rebuke him for taking this act too far, but the words died on her lips at the raw honesty she saw reflected in his gaze. They might be playacting at being a couple at the moment in order to get out of here, but he had obviously meant every word.

She owed him the same honesty. "Thank you, Weller," she said with an awkward laugh, her cheeks burning hotter than she could ever remember them being. "I feel the same way about you." Not that anything was going to come of it, of course. That was unspoken but clearly understood between them. All they had done was acknowledge the attraction that had always simmered between them. It changed nothing.

She couldn't look at him any longer after she made that admission, but she could feel his eyes on her all through the meal, and when he reached out with his free hand to grasp hers, she willingly curled her fingers around his.

They left the dining room hand-in-hand and curled back up on the bed to wait for Rich to contact them.

Of course, in typical Rich Dotcom fashion, he waited several hours to do so.

Despite sleeping so well the night before, Jane grew drowsy as the wait dragged on, and by the time Rich appeared on the screen, she had fallen sound asleep, her head pillowed on Kurt's chest, his fingers idly stroking through her hair.

The perfect picture of a couple.

Rich's smile broadened as he took in the sight before him. "Well, well, well. Good morning, Stubbles. It certainly looks as if the two of you had a . . . productive night. Wore the little missus out, did you? Good for you."

When he got his hands on Rich Dotcom, he was going to let the "little missus" have at him. Only Kurt didn't think he would particularly like her version of wearing him out. Then again, considering the source, maybe he would. "We did what you asked, Rich. You can let us go now."

"Before I even get to say hello to your lovely girlfriend?" Rich shook his head in mock exasperation. "You know, I'm starting to feel you don't appreciate the accommodations I went to such trouble to procure for you." He gestured to Jane. "Now, be a good boy and wake the little missus up for me so we can have a chat."

Kurt's heart sank as he registered the gleam in Rich's eyes. He had seen that same look one too many times right before everything went to hell for them. He had the uncomfortable feeling things were about to do so again, but he could do nothing about it now. "Jane," he said, gently shaking her shoulder. "Wake up. Rich wants to talk to you."

"Hmm?" Jane blinked up at him sleepily, trustingly, and Kurt didn't have to think at all, didn't have to act—he leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"Hey, sleepyhead," he greeted, ruffling her hair, his eyes conveying a warning that cut through the lingering tiredness in hers. "Guess who's here?"

Jane fought the urge to stiffen as she registered that warning and pressed a kiss to the corner of Kurt's mouth before rolling over to face their captor, still firmly enmeshed in Kurt's arms. "Good morning, Rich."

"Jane." Rich feigned disappointment at the chaste kiss she had bestowed on Weller. "Far be it from me to tell you how to live your life, but speaking from personal experience, it's better to be much more . . . enthusiastic with those good morning kisses. You don't want him to think you're not that into him. Try slipping him some tongue, or at the very least, kiss him fully on the mouth. Don't be shy; we're all friends here."

Kurt tightened his hold on Jane. "Sorry, Rich. What goes on between my girlfriend and me stays between my girlfriend and me." Rich had already remarked on what a private person he was; if they attempted to put on such a show to convince him they were a couple, he would know they were conning him.

Rich nodded slowly. "Fair enough, Cousin Stu. I suppose it will have to be reward enough to see the two of you happy again. I couldn't stand having my two favorite people in the world fighting. I'm sure you've got your second wind by now, so I should go and let the two of you get back to . . . making up. And don't worry. I'll tell the guards to let you go. Though, of course, you're free to stay as long as you like.

"Oh, one more thing," he added almost as an afterthought as Kurt and Jane started to relax, and felt an unholy glee as both of them tensed up once more. Really, their estimation of his intelligence was almost insulting. "Before I do that, Stubbles, I confess I glanced in on you once last night and noticed Jane was having a nightmare. What was up with that?

" _Don't_ look at her," he admonished as Kurt's eyes flew briefly to Jane's. "Since you're such a concerned boyfriend, I know you would have asked her what it was all about. So tell me, what caused a normally kick-ass lady to be so frightened?"

Kurt didn't even attempt to answer. The jig was up; that much was clear. "You know you're only making this worse for yourself, right, Rich? Every day you keep us here will add years onto your sentence. The least you could do is extend us the courtesy of telling us what you really want."

Rich looked genuinely wounded. "But I have, Stubbles. Here I am, trying to do the two of you the biggest favor anyone's ever bestowed on you in your lives, and you keep threatening me with jail time. That kind of ingratitude is going to come back to bite you in the ass one day, you know."

Sensing Rich was on the verge of severing their connection, Jane hastened to mollify him. "I'm sure Weller didn't mean it like that, Rich. He just has trouble expressing his feelings . . . and being cooped up."

"I know," Rich agreed. "And as wonderful a couple as the two of you seem to make, I have to ask: are you sure you can't do better?"

Jane quickly opened her mouth to respond, but Rich cut her off just as speedily. "That was a rhetorical question, I'm afraid. No matter how big a pain in the ass he is, I'm not going to allow the two of you to throw away the once-in-a-lifetime connection you have over a few trivial misunderstandings."

 _Misunderstandings?_ Jane and Kurt glanced at one another simultaneously, and simultaneously put space between themselves as they prepared to argue Rich's definition of the problems between them. There was definitely nothing trivial about their quarrel. Though a lover's quarrel, it was not.

Unfortunately for them, Rich had already moved on. "I tell you what, though, Jane. Since you've been such a pleasure to talk to and I do feel a bit badly about sticking you in a confined space with the Angry Munchkin there, I'll instruct the staff to leave a paper and pencil in the dining room for you. If there's anything you can think of to help alleviate Stubbles' boredom—you know, like a game of strip poker or Twister—feel free to write it down and they'll get it for you.

"Oh, and if you have any dirty laundry, leave it in there as well, and the housekeeper will wash it for you. Well, I think that's all for now," he continued. "Clearly, your problems are more deep-seated than I anticipated, so I'll give you a couple more days to talk things over before I check in again. Bye now."

Once again, he was gone before either of them could protest.

Neither of them looked at the other for a long time after the screen went dark, both of them struggling to come to grips with their disappointment that they wouldn't be going home today. Though for Kurt, it must be much worse, Jane reflected. He had a life back in New York, family and friends who must be worried sick about him. And once again, he was in a situation he hadn't asked for and didn't deserve because of her.

Still, maybe it would help to have something familiar from that life to help pass the time. "Kurt?" she asked softly, and waited until he looked at her before going on. "Would you like to order a board game? Not one of the ones Rich suggested, of course. We could get UNO Attack or . . ." She trailed off, not knowing any others to suggest. Her past life hadn't exactly been conducive to such pleasurable pursuits.

"What I would like," Kurt said deliberately, "is to go home. I want to assure my sister and nephew, and my team, that I'm all right, and then do my best to forget this ever happened by downing a bottle of scotch. But since none of that is apparently going to happen until we talk, I guess we should get that out of the way." He turned back to face her. "So. What was your nightmare about last night?"

So much for Kurt's more upbeat mood—and the unspoken truce they had negotiated while formulating their plan last night. Jane's face closed off as the memory threatened to intrude on her consciousness once more. "I don't want to talk about it." Certainly not to someone who merely wanted her to air her pain for his own gain. Logically, she knew it wasn't that simple, but she simply couldn't deal with this today. Or at least, not at the moment.

"You don't want to talk about it," Kurt repeated incredulously. "Well, what would you like to do, Jane? Tell me, what's your plan? Order board games and sit around in here until Rich Dotcom hopefully gets bored with us and lets us go? Or are you in league with him? Is that the real reason we're here? Because the two of you have something planned that required you to get me out of New York for a while and you volunteered yourself as a distraction?"

Jane was stung by the accusation. She knew she had made mistakes in the past, been in league with some questionable individuals, but her heart had always been in the right place. She had only ever wanted to help people. To protect _him._ "Do you honestly believe that?" She searched his gaze but the lingering doubts she saw reflected there caused her to turn away.

 _And to think this day started out so well,_ she thought as she took a seat by the full-length window across from the bed and stared out at the beach below. For a few moments, she had even thought that perhaps Rich was right, and she and Kurt should make an attempt to patch things up. As friends, of course, not as lovers.

The notion was laughable now. Jane could feel Weller's eyes on her back as she curled up in a ball and watched the angry surf pound the shoreline. It perfectly matched her mood, and she remained that way for hours, motionless, watching the storm rage.

The two of them didn't speak for the rest of the day.


	3. Chapter 3

I do not own Blindspot or its characters.

* * *

Jane was able to keep her memories at bay during the day, but her nightmare that night made the previous one look like a walk in the park.

 _She awoke as they were hoisting her into the air. "What's going on?" she demanded, even as the events of the past twenty-four hours flooded back into her consciousness, and her heart sank as the question became moot._

 _She was finally in the deep, dark hole she'd been threatened with so often._

 _Her interrogator didn't bother to respond; soon enough she would learn that the only sounds he wanted out of her mouth were answers to his questions. She closed her eyes as he started toward her with a chain, praying that when she opened them again this would be nothing more than a bad dream. Willing herself to be back in an interrogation room at the FBI with Kurt, explaining herself to him as she had longed to do. "Kurt," she murmured softly, opening her eyes just as the man drew back his arm._

 _His name was on her lips when the first blow fell, slicing through the soft skin of her belly._

 _In spite of her best efforts, she cried out at the pain._

 _But it—and the increasingly painful tortures they subjected her to in an attempt to get her to respond to questions she had no answers for—paled in comparison to the agony of the realization that she had been put here by the very man she had trusted above all others to keep her safe. The man she had entrusted with not only her wellbeing but her very heart._

"No! Please! No! _Kurt!_ "

"I'm here, Jane. I'm right here," Kurt assured her desperately, gathering her into his arms as she curled into a fetal position. He'd woken to her bloodcurdling screams nearly a minute ago, but so far his voice wasn't having any effect at calming her. He cradled her cheek against his heart, rubbing her back soothingly, and gradually, her cries died down to teary whimpers that tore at his heart. Rich had been right to question him about her nightmare last night. What had happened to his kick-ass Jane?

What had happened to _him?_ Kurt silently berated himself as he thought back to all the mornings since Jane rejoined the team when she had come in with dark circles under her eyes and dark shadows in them. He'd seen that she was struggling, but he had been so wrapped up in his own pain that he had unfailingly ignored hers. Had undoubtedly even added to it with his cold indifference and sarcastic comments.

No wonder she hadn't wanted to talk to him yesterday. It was a miracle she was still speaking to him at all. Kurt's heart broke a little more as Jane uncurled herself and burrowed into him as though she was trying to get beneath his very skin, her breathing still shallow and very shaky. "Is there anything I can do to help, Jane?" he asked gently.

"Light," Jane managed shakily, her hands curled into fists so tightly her fingernails were cutting into her palms, one of them pressed against the scar on her stomach that was a daily physical reminder of the torment she had endured. "I need a light on."

Kurt instantly reached over and flipped the overhead light on, never relinquishing his tight hold on Jane. Not that she would have let him. She was clinging to him like he was her only lifeline in the stormy seas they had seen yesterday, and a fresh wave of guilt swamped him. He'd been unspeakably cruel to her, and still she reached out to him, trusted him, when she was at her most vulnerable.

But god, what had happened to her?

Time ticked by in silence, and Kurt kept up his gentle touch in an attempt to soothe Jane, alternating between rubbing her back and threading his fingers through her hair. Gradually, he felt the tension bleed from her body and was relieved when she finally unclenched her fists in order to reach out for him as he was holding her. He frowned slightly as he caught sight of the still-healing scar near her burning rose tattoo that he had glimpsed yesterday.

"S-sorry," Jane apologized as she saw that frown, assuming it was directed at her. "I didn't mean to wake you. You can go back to sleep now if you need to." She tried to roll out of his arms, intending to go into the bathroom where she could have the light on without disturbing him, but he held her fast.

"You don't have anything to be sorry for, Jane," Kurt told her. "Everyone has a nightmare now and again. It's nothing to be ashamed of." Though the frequency of hers since she had been here suggested she should be discussing them with Borden.

"Really?" Jane asked. "Even you?"

Kurt hesitated for a long moment as he considered how to respond. "From the day Taylor disappeared," he finally confessed, and stepped up his gentle touches as he felt her stiffen once more. "I don't think more than a week has gone by where I haven't had this dream that she was crying out for me, begging me to find her. I'd go looking for her and see her in the distance, but no matter how fast I ran, she always stayed just a short way ahead of me, and I always woke up before I could reach her."

Something in his voice told her he'd never shared that with anybody before. "I'm sorry, Kurt," she whispered. "About Taylor, and . . . and your dad. And for using her to get close to you." If there was one thing she had learned since regaining her memories and comparing the woman she was before with the person she was now, it was that the greater good was _never_ a justification for hurting someone. Every single person's feelings mattered—and needed to be respected.

"I know, Jane." She had attempted to apologize to him for that at least once a week since her return, to explain why she had acted as she did, but he had always brushed her aside. He hadn't been ready to hear it before, but he thought he might be able to handle it now. "We'll talk about it in the morning, okay? If you want to," he added, not wanting her to think he was pressuring her into the explanation, even though she had offered it previously. "Or if . . . if there's anything else you need to talk about, or want to talk about, I'm here for you. I'll listen."

"Thanks, Kurt." Jane leaned up and placed a grateful kiss on his cheek before yawning widely. She snuggled back down into his arms, tensing a little when he moved to turn off the light.

He stopped instantly. "Jane? Do you want me to leave it on?" It would make it difficult to sleep but he had endured worse. He would endure whatever he needed to in order to make her comfortable.

Jane considered it for a long moment but shook her head. "No. No, it's okay." She did sleep with a light on at home most nights, but she had a feeling she would be fine the rest of the night as long as he held onto her, and he showed no signs of letting go.

And she was.

The next morning was nearly a mirror image of the previous one, except that there was no subterfuge to prepare for and thus no urgency to get out of bed. And since they no longer had to maintain the pretense of caring for one another, there was no reason to suspect that the light in Kurt's eyes when he looked at her today was anything other than genuine affection.

"Kurt?" Jane murmured after they'd been laying there quite some time.

"Hmm?" Kurt was having a hard time recalling his own name at the moment. Jane had begun unconsciously drawing idle patterns on his chest with a feather-light touch, and he simultaneously wanted the torture to stop and never to end.

"I just wanted to thank you. For what you said last night," Jane clarified when he didn't respond. "About being willing to listen when I'm ready to talk. I know being cooped up in here isn't easy for you, and I appreciate your patience."

He found it sad that she felt the need to thank him for something as basic as a little human kindness. That she was surprised to be on the receiving end of it. He really had sunk to an all-time low. He was determined to rectify the situation, but he had to go slow: as frustrated as he was that she was hurting so badly and he was currently powerless to help her, he had screwed things up so badly that he had no choice now but to wait for her to open up to him. If he pushed too hard, it might justifiably make her think that his kind words were simply a smokescreen and that his true motive remained getting out of here.

It might jeopardize their relationship forever.

"Anytime, Jane," he promised. As much as he had tried to convince himself that he couldn't wait for her to be gone from his life forever, his heart had always felt differently. It had just taken his head a little while to catch up. "Do you have these nightmares often?"

Jane was silent for so long he didn't think she was going to answer. "Not every night like I have here so far, but fairly often. I sleep with a nightlight or a lamp on, and that usually keeps them from being as bad."

"Okay." He would see what he could do to help her with that. "Thank you for telling me." He pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. "I tell you what: why don't you take the first shower this morning?" The hot water would ease muscles that were no doubt aching after the tension of the night before.

"Okay," Jane agreed softly, "and after breakfast . . . I want to talk." Not about her nightmares, not about the torture—she wasn't ready to open that can of worms—but about Mayfair and Taylor and Oscar and everything that had gone so wrong between them. She wanted their friendship back if it could be salvaged.

 _But Rich was wrong about the rest_ , she thought sadly. A romantic relationship between them would never work now, not after all the wounds they had inflicted on one another. She didn't think all the forgiveness in the world would be enough to bridge the gulf between them and enable them to trust one another to the degree necessary to surrender their hearts.

She just hoped the renewal of their friendship would be enough to convince him to let them go.

She took her time in the shower, hoping the steaming water would loosen her tight muscles as Kurt had suggested, but it was only marginally successful. The strain of her nightmares and once again being locked up—albeit in a much nicer prison—was beginning to tell on her.

"Jane? What's wrong?" Kurt asked over breakfast when she turned her head too quickly and grimaced in pain. Her neck muscles had really taken a beating.

"It's nothing," she said quickly, not wanting to worry him, but relented when his eyes dropped to his plate, his expression wounded. "My neck's a little sore after last night, that's all."

"I can help with that if you like," Kurt offered hesitantly. "I've been told I'm pretty good at giving massages."

She just bet he had. What female in her right mind would turn down the opportunity to have his hands on her? Jane blinked at the inappropriate nature her thoughts had once again taken. She was going to have to get her hormones under control before their cramped quarters made her do something really crazy like attempting to jump Kurt's bones, and he was forced to make things awkward between them again by rejecting her. He might desire her, but he'd made it clear he didn't _want_ her. Just as she had him. Still . . . "I'd like that," Jane heard herself saying.

Kurt smiled. "Good. Why don't you head back into the other room and get comfortable, and I'll be along in a minute." He reached for the pad of paper and pencil that had been laying on the table since lunchtime yesterday.

"What are you doing?" Jane asked curiously as she stood.

"I thought I might take Rich up on his suggestion and order us a couple board games to pass the time." Kurt looked up at her. " _Not_ strip poker or Twister."

"What's the matter, Weller? Afraid you'd get beat at those?" Jane fired back even as she blushed a little.

"Oh, I don't know," Kurt responded, his voice much more gravelly than normal, "I have a feeling that even if I was losing, I'd be winning."

The heat in his eyes was nearly her undoing. "Well, since you're not going to ask for them, I guess we'll never know. Too bad." She turned and sauntered from the room, feeling his gaze boring into her every step of the way.

 _She just might be the death of me before we get out of here,_ Kurt thought, _but what a way to go._ He quickly listed the games he wanted, as well as a few other items, and scribbled a note to Rich explaining the request.

He had expected Jane to lay down on the bed, but she had once again taken a seat on the floor by the window. He started to ask her to move and then changed his mind, taking a seat behind her and scooting forward until her hips were wedged between his thighs, her back resting against his chest.

Jane moaned softly as Kurt gently began kneading the knots out of her neck and shoulders. "Your girlfriends were right," she managed after a few minutes. "You are really good at this."

Kurt chuckled. "I don't recall saying that the people I did it for were women, much less my girlfriends."

"So you're telling me—" Jane moaned again as he hit a particularly sensitive spot and tilted her head to give him easier access. "You're telling me that you do this for Reade whenever he has a rough day at work?"

"Not a chance," Kurt admitted, chuckling again, but his snappy comeback died on his lips as he stared down at Jane's exposed throat. All he would have to do was lean forward a few inches, and he would be able to devour that smooth column as he had been dreaming of for days. He would be able to finally sate the curiosity that their proximity had ignited into a raging fire.

"Kurt?" Jane questioned when he fell silent, craning her neck even further to see his face. Her breath hitched at his expression, at the desire and heat and indecision in his eyes. One sign from her, and she knew he would act on it. One sign from her, and she would finally get to find out if the reality was as good as her fantasies.

She carefully eased out from between his legs and turned to face him.

"What are we doing, Kurt?" Jane asked when she'd put what she hoped was a safe distance between them. Though given the sizzling attraction between them, she had a feeling she was fighting a losing battle in this confined space.

"Hell if I know," Kurt admitted, equal parts relieved and disappointed that Jane had chosen to put the brakes on whatever this was between them. "All I know is that it's getting harder and harder for me to resist you. And judging by the way you've been flirting, I don't think I'm alone in that."

"No," Jane admitted softly, glancing away briefly to bolster her courage before continuing. "That's another reason I wanted to talk this morning. Given how things stand between us right now, I'm afraid if we do go ahead and get it out of our system, we'll wind up despising one another all the more."

Kurt was disturbed by her words. "I don't _despise_ you, Jane. I'm angry at you, yes; I was hurt by what you did, but I've never hated you." He paused a moment to study her. "Do you feel that way about me?" he asked gently.

"I don't know. I . . ." Jane winced as she saw how her answer hurt him. "I tried to convince myself I did, but since being here . . ." She saw with relief that his expression lightened a trifle. "I don't think I'd be reaching out to you the way I have if I really felt that way." In fact, she was beginning to suspect that she'd fostered those feelings to avoid dealing with the trauma of what had happened to her.

"Good," Kurt said quietly. "And while we're on the subject, I have to point out that there's one other problem with what you said."

"Oh, yeah?" Jane asked. "What's that?"

"You're assuming that we'll get it out of our systems," Kurt pointed out, his voice much more gravelly than usual, smiling at Jane's flabbergasted expression. It was clear that she had never considered that, but he hoped she would now. Because after a lifetime of being _too choosy_ , he'd begun to suspect he'd finally met the woman who could hold his attention—and his heart—for a lifetime.

He could only hope if that came to pass, that she would feel the same way. And that she had an explanation for her actions that would clear the way for him to be with her. "So . . ." Kurt scooted back until his back was resting against the wall, still facing Jane, and stretched his legs out in front of him. "Let's talk."

Jane nodded. She opened her mouth several times, but no words came out. Now that the moment was here, she didn't know what to say. This might well be her one shot at making him understand, at getting him to forgive her, and she didn't want to screw it up. "I don't know where to begin," she finally confessed.

"The beginning's a very good place to start," Kurt said, paraphrasing the famous movie that Sarah had made him watch with her more times than he cared to recount when they were kids. "When you rejoined the team, you said that Shepherd recruited you when you were very young, and you had a pretty rough childhood. Can you . . . would you mind telling me about that? What happened to your parents?"

"They were murdered," Jane said in a clipped voice. The memory of that fateful night was one she'd only recently recovered and yet another source of her nightmares. "When I was six. They were missionaries in Africa, and they made the mistake of witnessing to the wrong woman. Her husband was a local warlord, and he took offense at his wife's conversion, so . . ."

"You saw them die," Kurt guessed, and Jane gave a tiny little nod, drawing her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them, curling herself into a ball much as a small child would. As she no doubt had when it happened. He would have liked to have given her a hug, to have comforted her somehow, but her posture warned him that she wouldn't welcome it. "I'm so, so sorry, Jane."

Tears pricked her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She couldn't let herself get sidetracked, not now, not when there was still so much left to say. "After that . . . one of my parents' converts took me to the American embassy. They had no living relatives, so I was supposed to be returned to the US and put into foster care, but Shepherd . . . Shepherd was the one in charge of making those arrangements, and he decided to recruit me instead."

Her voice turned bitter. "I wasn't the first child he'd done that with, either. He took me to this makeshift orphanage he'd established in the basement of an abandoned building that wasn't fit for human habitation and left me in the charge of a local woman he'd bribed to care for us. That was when my training began."

She closed her eyes at the memory of those hellish early days. She'd missed her parents so badly she'd often wished she'd died with them, but Shepherd and the disillusioned former soldier he'd recruited to turn them into warriors had no sympathy for her tears. She was fortunate to have been chosen to be a part of something so much greater, he told her over and over, drumming it into her head until she accepted it as her destiny. Soon, her parents became nothing but a distant memory, and on the rare occasions she thought of them, it was with the same scorn Shepherd used when he talked of them, deriding them as weaklings who had died for nothing.

In fact, they were two of the strongest people she'd ever known. Their influence on her life, though much briefer than Shepherd's, had been so strong that it made her into the woman she was even when she could no longer remember any of them. The woman Kurt had first come to know as Jane.

 _The woman he still knew as Jane,_ she reminded herself, and debated telling him her real identity before deciding to keep it to herself at least a little longer. She hadn't spoken that name aloud to anyone in well over twenty years, hadn't talked about her parents in even longer. It, and they, had become almost sacred to her. _Maybe someday she would tell Kurt about them,_ she thought, but for now . . .

"Were any of those other children your friends?" Kurt broke in before she could continue.

Jane shook her head. "It wasn't like that, Kurt. Shepherd was stingy with his praise, and we all craved his approval, so for the most part, we saw one another as competition." It had been one of the toughest lessons for her to learn that the person who seemed to care about you most during the day was the most likely to stab you in the back at night while you slept.

"Eventually, Shepherd returned to the United States, and he began smuggling us back into the country once he'd recruited couples to take us in," she continued. "He obtained fake birth certificates for us so we could attend school, and even paid for his favorites to attend exclusive private schools."

"You were one of those," Kurt guessed. It explained—at least in part—her language abilities, and a number of other skills and knowledge he had noted she possessed.

"Yeah," Jane agreed. She had proven to be an avid pupil, more for her own gain than to please Shepherd, but she had never quite felt like she fit in with the other, more well-to-do students. She had been relieved to graduate and leave that place—and her faux family—behind her. "And of course, we kept up on our martial arts training in our spare time."

"Were they kind to you?" Kurt asked. "The couple who took you in?"

Jane shrugged. "They took good care of me. They did their duty to Shepherd's cause." She couldn't quite keep the bitterness out of her voice. For so many years, she had thought that if she worked just a little harder, made herself just a little more indispensable to them, that they would come to love her, but in the end all of her efforts came to nil. She had never been treated as more than an invited but not entirely welcome guest in their home.

Jesus. And he'd thought his childhood was rough. At least he'd had the comfort of knowing that he belonged to the people he came home to every day, and his father at least pretended to care for him. Her whole life had been a lie in service to a man who had not only manipulated and brainwashed her, but clearly had not had one ounce of genuine affection for her or any of the other children he had so callously recruited.

 _It was a miracle that she had turned out as well as she had,_ Kurt mused. _That she had chosen to use her talents to try to help people rather than hurt them. Her upbringing would have crushed the spirit of a lesser person._

He sat up straighter as he realized the direction his thoughts had just taken. Ever since he'd learned that Jane had been lying to them, that her actions had directly contributed to Mayfair's death, he'd been doing his best to convince himself that she was some coldblooded Mata Hari, that she had never cared for him, or anyone, but he saw now just how unfair that had been.

Despite having one of the worst upbringings imaginable, Jane had selflessly risked her life time and time again to save him and countless others. He'd met her under the worst possible circumstances, but ever since he had known her, she had been unfailingly kind and thoughtful and supportive. The one time she had asked for something in return—for him to listen to her side of things—he had walked away from her without a backwards glance.

Something she never would have done to him.

He'd hoped earlier that she could provide him with a reasonable explanation for her actions, but now he realized the answer had been in front of him all along. Her very character—impossible to fake under the kind of pressure they worked under—was proof that she never would have willingly betrayed them.

No matter her reasons for acting as she had, he knew she was justified.

And he couldn't wait to tell her so.


	4. Chapter 4

I do not own Blindspot or its characters.

* * *

They resumed their discussion after a lunch so lavish it could have easily fed them for a week. There was no sign of the items Kurt had requested, but he wasn't surprised: he had no idea how far they were from a town, but he had suspected it would be dinner before the staff obtained Rich's approval and were able to purchase them.

The floor had grown rather hard, so Jane stretched out on the bed, and he laid down next to her, turning on his side so he was facing her. "So . . ." he said, searching for a way to jumpstart the conversation when the silence stretched between them. "What happened after you graduated from high school? Did you go on to college?"

He could have kicked himself as Jane's expression turned wistful. "No," she said softly. "I wanted to, but Shepherd . . . Shepherd wouldn't pay for it. He ordered me to join the Navy instead."

When they found that man, it was going to be all he could do not to beat him to within an inch of his life. "It's not too late, you know," Kurt told her. "People much older than you have gone on to get their degrees." He forced a lighthearted note into his voice that he was very far from feeling. "So. What do you want to be when you grow up?"

Jane blinked and then dissolved into giggles. "No one's ever asked me that before." No one had ever asked her how she felt about anything. Well, not until Kurt. She had just been ordered to do their bidding. Her laughter died as she considered the question. "Actually . . . actually I think I'd like to be an FBI agent. I like what we do, Kurt. I like coming in to work, saving the world," she teased, "and then going home." Though going home was definitely her least favorite part of that.

Her smile faded after a moment. "But of course, that's impossible. Who knows how long it will be before we take down Shepherd? And even once that's done, I could never afford it."

He hated that she was once again being forced to put her life on hold for a man who had already taken more of it than he had any right to. "I know this must seem like it's never going to end, but it will, Jane. I promise you that. And once it does, we'll figure out a way to help you achieve your dreams. The military pays for college for a lot of veterans, and there are scholarships available as well. The Jane I know can do anything she sets her mind to."

Jane felt warmth spread through her at his encouragement. "I appreciate the vote of confidence, but it's not just the tuition money that would be a problem. The FBI isn't going to provide me a safe house forever, and I can't attend college full-time and hold down a job that would pay enough to get my own apartment." Not to mention all the other things she would need, like food and clothes and utilities. No, she'd been right to begin with. It was impossible.

Kurt quirked an eyebrow at her. "I guess that means you'll have to move in with me then. I've got an empty spare bedroom," he added quickly, not wanting her to think he was propositioning her. Not that he wouldn't be amenable to such an arrangement, but only if Jane made the first move. She'd already had enough men trying to control her life.

"Kurt . . ." Jane was stunned by his generous offer. "That's really sweet, but I couldn't possibly impose on you like that." There would be no way she could pay her share of the bills, not until she graduated and got a job, and it wouldn't be fair of her to let him support her all that time. Not even if she paid him back, which of course she would do. He worked hard for his money and deserved to spend it as he saw fit, and she told him so.

"But this is how I see fit to spend it," Kurt retorted. "And you wouldn't be imposing, Jane. In fact, you'd be doing me a favor. Ever since Sarah and Sawyer moved out, the apartment's been much too quiet. It would be nice to have someone to talk to again when I come home at night."

She could certainly understand that sentiment. Even with things as strained as they were between her and the team, she dreaded leaving work at the end of the day, her safe house feeling more like a tomb than a home. But still . . . "I appreciate the offer, Kurt, but by the time Shepherd is caught, you'll probably have found someone to share the apartment with you." She glanced away, not wanting him to see how much the thought of him having another woman there bothered her.

"Actually . . ." Kurt waited until she met his eyes again. "Actually, I was thinking that if you have no objections, I'd like you to go ahead and move in when we get back." He knew what he was suggesting crossed any number of professional and ethical boundaries, but for the first time in his career, he didn't care. Jane was worth it. And she needed him. He needed _her_. "I've been sleeping better with you next to me here, and I'd much rather have you down the hall than lay awake worrying about you suffering from nightmares all alone in a safe house that has proven to be less than that in the past." He would much rather have her in his bed, but that would be entirely up to her. He would make sure she knew his door was always open to her.

"Oh, Kurt." Tears sprang to Jane's eyes at his thoughtfulness, and before she had time to think, to second-guess her actions, she leaned up and kissed him. She had intended it to be a chaste thank you for his generous offer, but the moment her lips touched his, the passion between them exploded. His arms banded around her, pulling her tightly to him as his tongue darted out to tease her lips until she opened her mouth for him, allowing him to deepen the kiss.

Jane was by no means passive herself. She tangled her tongue with his, not vying for dominance but simply learning the taste of him as he was her, and slipped her hands beneath his shirt to roam over the smooth skin of his back, moaning at the feel of firm muscle flexing beneath her fingertips. A tiny voice in her head warned her that she needed to put the brakes on, that she would regret this if they went any further before they finished clearing the air between them, but that voice of reason grew dimmer and then fell silent as they broke apart briefly for air before their mouths crashed together once more.

Explanations be damned, she wanted him more than she had ever wanted any man, and she wanted him now. And judging by the bulge she felt against her thigh as Kurt rocked his hips into hers, he felt exactly the same way.

Jane was just reaching for the hem of his shirt when Kurt ended the kiss and pulled back a few inches, and she whimpered in protest. He gently brought a hand up to cup her jaw, smiling down at her when she leaned into his touch. "So I take it . . ." His voice wasn't quite steady, and he cleared his throat before beginning again. "I take it that's a yes, then?"

A yes? What was the question? Oh right, moving in with him. The question was like a dash of cold water on her libido. "Kurt . . ." She couldn't bring herself to say no, not when he was looking at her like that, but she didn't think he'd thought through all the implications. She didn't think he'd still want her after they finished their discussion. "There are still things you don't know . . . about me," she forced herself to say. "Things you may find unforgivable." Things that might justifiably force him to arrest her once more, but which she couldn't move in with him, plan a future, without disclosing.

Kurt started to tell Jane that he had already forgiven her, that nothing in this world would make him change his mind, but he could see how important this was to her and acceded to her unspoken request. "Okay. Then let's talk." He would ask her again the moment they were through.

Jane felt an unreasoning panic as he kissed her forehead and scooted up the bed, waiting expectantly for her to do the same. "Right now?"

"There's no time like the present," Kurt told her gently. He'd promised not to push, but clearly this was something she needed to get off her chest, and he was eager for her to do so as well. He was eager to demonstrate to her that just as he'd once told her, he believed the person she had been wasn't who she was now. He believed in _her._

Jane nodded slowly as she scooted to a sitting position, careful to maintain as much distance between them as the small bed would allow. She would never get through this if she allowed him to hold her as he clearly wanted to. She could feel his eyes caressing her as she struggled for words to tell him her deepest, darkest secret, and she finally realized there was no good way to break this news. "I'm a murderer, Kurt," she blurted out.

"Are you?" Kurt kept his voice gentle, and Jane huffed in frustration as she turned to face him "I'm no saint, Jane. People have died by my hand as well."

"But all of yours were in the line of duty," Jane said. "I killed a man in cold blood, Kurt. I walked up behind him and—"

"Stop, Jane," Kurt ground out, not wanting to hear this. Not wanting to have to choose between his feelings for her and his sworn duty as an agent of the law. As if he didn't already know which would win out.

"—placed my gun to the back of his head," Jane continued inexorably, "told him this was for my parents, and pulled the trigger."

Kurt froze as her words sank in, and a relief greater than he'd ever known swept through him. "The warlord who killed your parents. In Africa." Not in the US. Not in his jurisdiction. Arguably, he might still have a moral obligation to report the crime, but he wasn't about to do another country's police work for them. Besides . . . he had no proof. Nothing but a confession that Jane could reasonably deny if she were ever questioned about it. That he would insist she deny.

And while they were on that subject . . . "All right. Tell me what you need to, Jane. Get it off your chest . . . but when we leave here, what was said here, stays here. Promise me. Promise me you won't ever mention this to anyone else."

Jane stared at Kurt, shocked not only by his words and the vehemence in them but the fear in his eyes as he looked at her. His view of the world had always been so black and white that she'd been certain he'd be disgusted by what she'd done, ready to extradite her back to Africa and wash his hands of her the moment they got out of here, but he was genuinely afraid _for_ her. "Kurt," she murmured after a long moment. "I've made so many mistakes, hurt you so badly. Why don't you hate me?" What would it take to make him see her for what she really was? And how would she ever survive it when he did?

"Ah, Jane." Kurt reached over and gently pulled her into his arms, and she stiffened briefly before allowing him to tuck her against his chest. "I could never hate you. I'm sorry if I ever made you feel that I did." Though how could she have not after he had arrested her and sent her to prison without a backwards glance? Without allowing her one word of the explanation she'd been entitled to give after risking her life so many times to save his? "I don't need to know why you did what you did to know you never meant to hurt me."

"How can you be so sure?" Jane demanded in frustration. How could he go from arresting her and allowing the CIA to take her and torture her five months ago to treating her with unfailing disdain from the moment he reluctantly allowed her to rejoin the team up until they were sequestered here to staunchly defending her? And how could she trust that his feelings wouldn't change once more? "I just confessed to you that I'm a murderer, Kurt—a _criminal._ That I shot a man in cold blood. How can you be sure that I haven't left a string of bodies in my wake?"

Because he knew _her_. He'd seen her character under the kind of pressure that would break most people, and he knew she was a good person. He'd made the mistake of doubting that once before; he wouldn't ever do so again. "Have you?" Kurt asked mildly.

She pulled back to shoot him an irritated glare. "No, of course not. Well," she amended, "I've taken more lives, but every one of those was in the line of duty and saved countless others."

"How do you know killing that warlord didn't do the same?" Kurt pointed out. "Don't get me wrong; I'm not condoning cold-blooded murder, but in this case, it sounds as if you did the world a favor, Jane. Your parents wouldn't have been his first victims, and they certainly weren't his last." It was a miracle the man hadn't killed her as well. No doubt in his final moments, he'd wished he had.

"No," Jane agreed softly. She had never thought of it that way before, but Kurt was right. "Shepherd told me before . . . before I left for Africa that he went home that night and killed his wife as well when she wouldn't recant her faith."

"Shepherd was involved in this?" Kurt didn't know why he was surprised. Of course the bastard had been. Jane had been too much under his thumb to make one move, one decision for herself her whole life until her memory had been wiped. He was the only criminal, in Kurt's opinion, not the children he'd brainwashed into doing his dirty work for him.

Jane nodded. "He ordered me to do it. As a test to make sure I would carry out whatever directives he gave me. And also, though I didn't realize this at the time, as insurance."

"Insurance?" Kurt frowned, not comprehending at first, and then her meaning sank in. "Oh, god. Shepherd has the weapon you used to shoot that warlord." Which would be a ballistics match to the bullet the police recovered and which no doubt had her fingerprints all over it.

Jane nodded. "So you see . . . it doesn't matter if I tell anyone else what I've done or not. If Shepherd figures out that I helped take him down . . . if he even suspects my involvement . . . then he'll make sure that evidence is turned over to the authorities." And as many friends as he still had over there, once she was extradited, she probably wouldn't make it from the plane to a jail cell. She might not even make it to the plane in this country if he could arrange her demise any sooner. He was not forgiving of betrayal.

Kurt felt like he'd been punched in the gut. He had never before wanted to kill a man in cold blood—although he'd come close when he'd learned what his father had done—but he understood now why Jane had acted as she did. He would do the same if Shepherd gave him the slightest chance when they closed in on him, but given his propensity for keeping his hands clean, he would no doubt give up without a fight.

And anyone intelligent enough to conceive and execute an intricate, long-term operation like this wouldn't take long to figure out why it had failed. And retaliate accordingly. "We're going to have to pull you out," Kurt said, much more harshly than he had intended in his fear for her. "Jane . . . it's too dangerous for you to stay inside that group any longer. I can talk to Allie, get you into witness protection—"

"On what grounds?" Jane asked quietly. "Witness protection is granted to . . . well, witnesses. And until we catch Shepherd, there's no one for me to testify against. And what reason would you give for pulling me out?" If his bosses learned what she had done for Shepherd, they would have even more leverage to force her to stay undercover in his organization. And they wouldn't hesitate to use it.

Kurt sucked in a breath as he realized the impossible position that she had been in—that he was now in as well. If he couldn't pull her out, and he couldn't keep Shepherd from finding out that she had switched allegiances . . . then he would have to neutralize his ace in the hole. A glimmer of an idea began to take shape in his brain, but before he had time to consider it further, the door to the dining room slid open, revealing two boxes in the doorway.

"Don't worry, Jane," he said, deciding to keep the beginnings of his plan to himself for now to avoid raising her hopes. "We'll figure something out. I promise." He gently brushed a stray lock of hair back from her face. "Now, if memory serves . . . you still owe me an answer to my question. Jane Doe . . . will you move in with me?"

Jane's breath caught in her throat as she searched his gaze. "You still want me to? After everything I've told you?" After everything she had _done?_

"More than ever," he assured her.

She threw herself into his arms. "Then yes. Yes, of course I will." How could she say no when he was offering her everything she had ever wanted?

Kurt smiled. "Good." He kissed her forehead gently and then clambered off the bed to drag the boxes into their room, shaking his head slightly as the door quickly slid shut again behind him.

"Now," Kurt said, opening the first box as Jane walked over to him, "I think we've had enough serious talk for one day. How about a game? Your choice," he added. Anything to take her mind off the troubles that had to have been weighing on it for months. Anything to wipe those shadows from her eyes and replace them with the more carefree Jane he'd seen glimpses of since they'd been here.

Jane raised an eyebrow as she reached into the box and pulled out the top two items, a game of Twister and a very racy deck of playing cards. "My choice, huh? Change your mind about getting beat, Weller?"

"I didn't order those; I swear," Kurt protested, laughing in spite of himself, relieved to see Jane's face had lightened considerably. Kama Sutra playing cards, indeed. Rich Dotcom had one twisted sense of humor. When he caught up with him . . .

"Don't worry, Kurt," Jane assured him. " _I_ don't think you're the kind of man who needs any inducements to convince a woman to go to bed with him." _She_ certainly hadn't, despite still having conflicting emotions regarding him. Even now, she was tempted to suggest they forget the game and finish what they'd started.

"Thank you," Kurt said as he took the offending items from Jane's hands and set them aside before pulling out the games he _had_ ordered.

"On the other hand . . ." She cocked her head as she looked at him, her brow furrowing as she pretended to reconsider. "Maybe you should keep the cards when we leave here? Just in case that changes in the future," she teased, and laughed at the look he shot her. But her amusement quickly died as the look turned predatory.

"Oh, you think so, do you?" Kurt set the games aside and backed her slowly into the wall behind them, placing his hands on either side of her to pin her in place. He lowered his head toward hers agonizingly slowly but stopped just before their mouths could meet, feeling a thrill run through him as the laughter faded from her eyes to be replaced by awareness and then anticipation. He had intended to simply tantalize her in retaliation for her taunt, to make it clear to her that he would never need such a thing, but now that he was this close, the joke was on him. He could no more resist her than he could the air he breathed.

"Jane," he murmured just as his lips touched hers, and then all thought was driven from his mind entirely as her whimper heated his blood and he pressed her into the wall until there was no space left between them, their bodies molded together as if they were made for one another and yet still not close enough to suit either of them.

Kurt was just about to heft Jane into his arms, to carry her over to the bed and finally, fully, give in to this attraction between them, when the door behind them slid open once more, and both of them froze, the moment broken.

Jane gave a shy laugh as she stepped back, and Kurt groaned as he glanced over to the open doorway, where a folding table and chairs now stood, no doubt intended to make it easier for them to play a game. Just not the kind of game he had been looking forward to. "You know," he commented as the two of them dragged their new furniture into the room, "for a guy who claims that he wants us to get together, Rich Dotcom's staff is more on-the-ball than discreet. I'm really starting to doubt that guy's intentions."

"Maybe you should order a 'Do Not Disturb' sign next," Jane suggested, more than a little perturbed at the interruption herself, and was heartened to see Kurt appeared to be seriously considering the idea. Maybe the third time would be the charm. She glanced down at the second unopened box at her feet. "So. What's in here?"

Kurt scooped up the box and set it on the table next to Jane. "See for yourself," he replied, and then held his breath as she opened it, praying Rich's questionable taste hadn't found a way to assert itself in such common household items. Fortunately, the nightlights were the average, run-of-the-mill kind you could buy at any store, as were the small bedside lamps which he had been afraid Rich might not include. Apparently he had decided that there was little risk of them bashing one another over the head with them any longer and none at all of them using them in an escape attempt.

Jane's eyes welled with tears as she picked up one of the lamps and rubbed it gently before setting it down on the table. "Thank you, Kurt," she choked out as she embraced him tightly, so overwhelmed by his thoughtfulness that she could barely speak.

"You're very welcome, Jane." Kurt held her until she had her emotions back in check, stroking her back gently all the while. He smiled at her when she finally stepped back. "So. What do you say we put this stuff away and play that game?"

"I'd like that," Jane agreed as she reached into the box and pulled out the folded piece of paper she'd noticed earlier with Kurt's name on it, "but I think I'd better start putting the stuff away while you see what Rich has to say." Two days ago, she would have demanded to see it as well, but now she knew he would tell her if it contained anything she needed to know.

She trusted him.

Kurt sat down at the table and began to read as Jane grabbed a handful of nightlights and began placing them strategically around the room, as well as in the bathroom and closet.

 _Stubbles,_

 _So glad to get your note and to know that you and the little missus have finally talked and you're beginning to take the care of her that she deserves. Even so, I'm sure she hasn't begun to tell you half of the hell she's been through these past few months._

Kurt frowned as he puzzled over that line. What hell would that have been? Prison was unpleasant, sure, but it couldn't even begin to compare with the horror of her more distant past. Or of waking up naked in a bag with amnesia. Still, maybe to Jane, who hadn't had her memories of that past when he'd arrested her, the experience, combined with the pain of losing the only friends she could remember, had proved overwhelming.

His frown deepened as he recalled the scar he had seen this morning. Had she gotten that in prison? It didn't make sense, because she was more than kick-ass enough to defend herself in there, but it had looked recent. Something wasn't adding up. He would have to talk to her about that tomorrow. He resumed reading.

 _I'm sure you probably still think I'm interfering in matters I had no right to, but once I learned what she had endured, I knew she needed you in the worst way. Well, actually, you needed each other, but you were both far too stubborn to admit it without a little prodding. You're welcome for that, by the way. I'm sure you'll thank me for it someday._

Kurt paused again, surprised to realize he was already . . . Grateful? To Rich Dotcom? Never had he thought that was an emotion he would feel for that man, but without his intervention, they likely never would have mended their friendship.

And Jane would have paid for it with her life.

He returned his attention to the page and finished the last few lines.

 _Well, that's all for now. Drop me a line if you need anything else. Keep up the good work, and I'm sure you'll be able to leave in no time. I'll check in again with you soon._

 _Rich_

Kurt folded the letter back up and placed it in his shorts pocket just as Jane approached with Monopoly. "I, uh . . . I thought since we played Uno Attack last time we . . . last time," she amended hastily, "that I'd like to try this one this time. If you don't mind teaching me."

"No," Kurt assured her. "I don't mind at all." He set up the game and filled her in on the basics, but his attention quickly strayed from the game as they began to play and back to the problem of what to do about Shepherd. The idea he'd had earlier returned to mind, and by the time the game started to require more of his focus, he had a fully fleshed-out plan.

The only problem was that he couldn't pull it off alone.

In fact, there was only one man he knew who could help him.

One of the most dangerous men in the world.

Kurt slept fitfully that night, wrestling with his decision, struggling to reconcile his conscience and the oath he had taken as an FBI agent not so much with what he was considering . . . but who he was contemplating partnering up with to accomplish it.

In the end, there was no choice to be made. Not when Jane's life—and freedom—was at risk. He hadn't been able to save Taylor, but he would be damned if he sat on his hands now and risked losing someone else he loved. Kurt woke up in the morning steadfast in his decision to proceed.

He dropped another line to Rich Dotcom after breakfast.


	5. Chapter 5

I do not own Blindspot or its characters.

* * *

Kurt had intended to tell Jane what he'd done, but her first words when he came back into the room drove all thoughts of Shepherd and Rich Dotcom from his head. "So," she said, sitting down cross-legged on the bed, "I guess it's time to talk about what happened with Mayfair, huh?"

Kurt sucked in a breath and he slowed his steps as he approached the bed, hesitantly taking a seat beside her. "Are you sure you're ready for that?" _Was he sure he was?_

"As ready as I'll ever be," Jane admitted, her answer mirroring his own internal one.

"Jane . . ." Kurt took one of her hands in his, squeezing it reassuringly. "You know I don't blame you for what happened any longer, right? I know you never meant to hurt me. You never meant for anyone to get hurt. So if—if you'd rather not talk about this, it's okay. I don't have to hear all the details to know you are a good person. I don't have any doubts about that any longer."

"I appreciate that, Kurt," Jane said, gripping his hand tightly, as if it was her only lifeline in this world. Which maybe it was. "But I think . . . I think I need to say this. Regardless of whether or not it changes how you feel, I think you should have all the facts."

There was no "regardless." Nothing would change the way he felt. Not ever again. But he would hear whatever she felt she needed to say. "Okay, then. I'm listening."

Jane took a deep breath as she launched into her story. She told him about first meeting with Oscar the night she had snuck out to kiss him at his apartment, his answering smile making her want to do it all over again, more properly this time, but she forced herself to stay on track. She told him about Carter's men snatching her off the street, about him water-boarding her to try to get answers she didn't have to give, and his threat to use a drill on her to find out what she knew about Orion. Which was absolutely nothing more than the brief flashback he had triggered.

"God, Jane," Kurt whispered brokenly. "I'm sorry. I should have had Sawyer take the groceries up to the apartment and walked you home that night. I knew you didn't have your detail, and I knew . . . I knew you could be in danger. I don't know what I was thinking. I . . ." That kiss had wiped all rational thought from his head for some time afterwards. "I'm sorry," he apologized again.

"It's okay, Kurt," Jane reassured him. "It wasn't your fault. You provided me with a security detail; I was the one who chose to sneak out." She squeezed his hand before continuing on, telling him about Oscar killing Carter and his men, then showing her the video of her—the _old_ her—telling herself this was all her plan.

"I should have run straight back to your apartment then, and told you what had happened," she said sadly. "But I . . . Oscar was the first solid link I had to my past, and I was afraid that if you found out about him, he might slip through my fingers just like all the other leads had done. I planned to tell you about him; I did . . . I just wanted to know _more_ first. I didn't want you to ever look at me like . . ." Like he had the night he'd arrested her. It was the ultimate irony that despite her best efforts to keep that from happening, to protect him, she'd wound up accomplishing neither.

She drew in a shuddering breath. "So I went to meet him the night we got back from our overseas trip. The night . . ." Her smile turned sad. "The night you asked me to meet you at the park. I . . . I needed answers from Oscar, so I went there, but what I _wanted_ , more than anything was to go see you." She shrugged. "But it wouldn't have mattered anyway, since you didn't go either. So—"

"Jane," Kurt interrupted. "I was there that night. I waited for you for almost an hour. Telling you I wasn't . . . it was just my way to save face, I guess. And to make sure things didn't get . . . awkward between us because I . . . misread the situation."

"You didn't, Kurt," Jane assured him, squeezing his hand again and thrilling when this time, he threaded his fingers through hers and didn't let go. "I wanted the same thing; I just . . . I knew I couldn't keep this from you, especially if we started a relationship, and I was hoping Oscar would tell me . . . more about _me._ Something that would offer me some justification for why I had . . . had targeted you, and how, if this really was my plan, I had gotten access to all this classified information."

"But you didn't tell me," Kurt pointed out. "What changed your mind?"

"I don't know. I . . ." Jane stopped. "Actually, that's not true. I . . . when I first met Oscar, I told him I would never hurt you guys or put you in danger." She laughed humorlessly at the realization that she had done _exactly_ that. "But I guess _I_ was hurt when things didn't work out the way I was hoping, and I started to listen to Oscar when he told me . . . And then you moved on with Allie, and . . ."

"I drove you straight into his arms," Kurt finished grimly. He paused. "Wait. What did Oscar say?"

"He told me . . . he told me that I wasn't one of you and never would be, that I was just a cog in your machine, welcome while useful and disposable the second I wasn't. Deep down, I always knew that wasn't true," Jane hastened to add as Kurt stiffened, "but for a while, I just felt . . . lost, I guess, and that made me more vulnerable to Oscar's manipulations. You'd been there for me since I crawled out of that bag, and suddenly it felt like you weren't anymore, and I . . . I didn't handle that very well. And by the time I had regained some perspective, Oscar had threatened you if I didn't do as he asked, and there was so much distance between us that I didn't know how to tell you what was going on. I was afraid that if I did, and Oscar found out, that he might . . ."

Her voice became suspended by tears, and Kurt gently pulled her into his arms. "It's okay, Jane," he murmured over and over. "I'm here. I'm right here with you. I'm _fine._ " He started to tell her once more that he knew the risks, that if something happened to him, it wouldn't be on her, but he realized that would be hollow comfort. _He_ knew the risks they were taking using Jane as a triple agent to bring down Shepherd's organization, but if something happened to her because of it, he would never be able to forgive himself for going along with it.

Fortunately, he had a potential ally in mind who would apparently spare no expense to ensure Jane was healthy and happy.

Jane finally got herself under control enough to go on, and she continued without stopping, even as tears streamed down her face as she recounted Mayfair's death and her subsequent actions leading up to her arrest. "I'm sorry, Kurt," she apologized shakily when she had finished. "I know how much she meant to you. If I could go back and trade my life for hers, I wou—"

"Don't you dare say that!" Kurt interrupted furiously, taking a deep breath in a desperate attempt to soften his tone when Jane recoiled. He was just beginning to realize that while Mayfair's death had devastated him, Jane's . . . Jane's would destroy him. "I've never wished for that, Jane, and Mayfair . . . she wouldn't want you to feel that way either. What she said to you . . . she wouldn't still feel that way. She was dying, and she was angry, and she was scared for us, but—trust me!" he said when Jane shook her head disbelievingly. "I knew Bethany Mayfair most of my career, and she was tough but fair. If she'd had a chance to calm down, she would have listened to your side of the story and stuck up for you." He wished he had taken time to consider the example she had set in dealing with this situation. Maybe then he wouldn't have made such a muddle of it.

"Thanks, Kurt," Jane said quietly, his words easing that tight knot of grief she had been carrying deep inside her a bit more. He held out his arms and she went into them willingly, relishing the comfort he had been unfailingly providing her since they had been sequestered here. The comfort she hoped she was in some small measure returning to him. "We're a pair, aren't we?" she murmured. "Both of us come with so much baggage that if Rich Dotcom knew us a little better, he would never think we'd make a good couple."

Kurt had a feeling there wasn't much about the two of them that Rich Dotcom _didn't_ know. "Or maybe," he suggested just as she once had, "that baggage is what makes the two of us the right people for the job. After all, who else would understand us as well as we seem to do one another? I've dated my fair share of women, but I've never met one I felt as comfortable talking to as I do you. Even when I was angry, I still felt . . . connected to you in a way I've never experienced before. I have a feeling once we finish ironing out our differences, communication won't be a problem between us. If . . . if you'd like to give a relationship a try," he added hesitantly.

"I want to say _yes_ more than anything," Jane admitted, "but—" _Honesty, Jane_ , she told herself. She propped herself up on one elbow so she could look Kurt full in the face. "I've dated my fair share of guys as well, but Oscar was my only serious relationship, and even with him . . ." She took a deep breath. "Kurt, I was sleeping with him, _engaged_ to him, and I didn't feel a tenth as strongly about him as I do you. You've already confessed to being incredibly choosy. If we try this and it doesn't work . . ." She shook her head. "At the moment, it seems like you're the only person who really still cares about me, and this feels like a major gamble. I'd be risking a bona fide friendship on an intangible."

Well, at least she hadn't outright said no. Kurt swallowed down his disappointment, acknowledging to himself that Jane's fears were perfectly reasonable—and completely justified. "So what do you need from me to make you more comfortable with the idea?" he asked. "Believe it or not, this is new territory for me too, Jane. I've never felt this way about anyone else either, and I'd given up thinking I'd find a woman I liked well enough to ask to move in with me." Certainly not one he hadn't even been intimate with yet. "That should show you how strongly I feel about us." And they weren't even officially a couple.

Jane nodded, reassured but still clearly not entirely convinced. Kurt decided to up the ante. If this didn't convince her that he had no doubts and remove the remainder of hers, nothing would. "How about this? We're far from a typical couple, so how about we just skip past all the preliminaries and make it more permanent?" He brought a hand up to cup her jaw as he smiled tenderly down at her. "Jane Doe . . . will you marry me?"

"Kurt—" Jane's breath caught in her throat but her automatic reprimand died on her lips as she saw his expression. "You're joking." He continued to regard her steadily with a little half-smile tugging at his lips. "Well, obviously you're not joking. But . . ."

"Look, Jane . . ." Kurt shifted her back into his arms. "I'm not suggesting we walk down the aisle tomorrow; I know we've still got a lot of things to work through, and I think we should get Borden's help with that. What I am offering you is my pledge that we will do so at the time and place of your choosing as soon as Borden gives us the green light." He wanted to be sure that they started their marriage off on the right footing, but he had no doubts they could make a go of it. "You don't have to give me an answer right now. I know it's a lot to think about." He didn't even have the ring she deserved, though if she said yes, their first outing together when they got back would be to go pick it out. "Just think about it, is all I'm asking."

As if she would be able to do anything else. "I will," Jane said quietly.

"Good." Kurt hesitated before broaching what he was certain would be a sore subject. "There's one more thing we should probably talk about. Rich mentioned in his note yesterday that you had been through hell the last few months, and I couldn't help but notice that scar on your side looked recent. What happened to you in prison, Jane?"

Jane yanked herself free of his arms and perched on the edge of the bed, wanting to go farther but knowing the time for running was past. He hadn't said those three little words yet, but he had just offered his heart, his name, his _life_ ; the least she could give him in return was a little honesty. She took a deep breath. "I wasn't in prison, Kurt." She forced herself to turn around and meet his gaze, the confusion on his face eliminating the last shred of doubt that he had known what had really happened to her. "The CIA, they . . ." Her voice trailed off as he shot to his feet and began to pace.

Kurt had survived explosions, gunshots, that hurt less than this. "They took you to a black site. Tortured you." His voice was so gravelly it was almost unrecognizable, and he felt tears trickle down his cheeks as he turned back to her. He could only imagine what she had endured in those three months. Well, actually, he couldn't, and based on her nightmares, he didn't want to. No, that wasn't quite true. He would have happily borne it all for her. "You thought I knew."

"I needed to believe you knew," Jane corrected. "To get through it. I told myself you did. But deep down . . . deep down I always knew that no matter how angry you were at me, you would never condone torture. I just . . . for the first week, I thought sure you would realize you'd made a mistake and come get me, but when that didn't happen . . . well, I felt abandoned, and I got angry. It fueled my determination to survive and get out of there, but I didn't know how to let go of it when I returned to the team. And it only made me angrier to hear about all I'd put you through when you refused to even acknowledge what I'd just endured."

"Jane . . ." Kurt's voice was hoarse with pain. "I'm sorry. God, I'm so sorry. You never should have had to go through that. I never should have . . ."

She rose and walked toward him when it became clear he wasn't going to return to her side, taking his clenched fists in hers and gently prying them open so she could thread her fingers through his. "I know, Kurt. And it _wasn't_ your fault. You were well within your rights to arrest me, and there was nothing you could have done once the CIA had me in their custody." Believing otherwise had been a desperate fantasy. "But there is something you can do for me now."

"Anything," he assured her instantly, the bleak expression on his face lightening infinitesimally as he met her gaze.

She tugged on his hands. "Come back to bed and hold me?" Though that was as much for him as her, and his weak smile told her he knew that. They could both use a heavy dose of comfort right now.

Kurt pulled her into his arms the moment both of them slipped beneath the covers, smiling as she immediately snuggled closer to him, as near as she could get, before laying her head on his chest. "I like this," she said.

 _Me too_ , Kurt thought, breathing in her scent and feeling himself already beginning to grow drowsy after the sleepless night he'd had. He was just drifting off when Jane spoke.

"I've been thinking about that question you asked me earlier," she said.

"Mmmhmm? Decided to say _yes_ already, have you?" Kurt teased.

Jane swatted him playfully before turning serious once more. "You do realize that's going to make an awful lot of people unhappy. The team, your sister, Director Pellington?" Though she actually thought Naz might support them. "I don't think you've considered all the ramifications of this. You might not want to . . ."

"Jane," he interrupted. "I can't live my life to please other people. I promise you, Sarah will come around when she sees how happy I am, just as I did with her and Reade, and as for the others . . . well, I hope the team will be happy for us as well, but they don't get a say in my personal life. And that goes double for Pellington."

"But Pellington could fire you," she said anxiously. "Or demote you. Or . . . or transfer you somewhere far away." God, what would she ever do without him? They weren't even officially a couple yet, and she couldn't envision a future without him in it.

"If he fires me, so be it," Kurt said evenly. "If he demotes me, I'll accept it." He had never wanted Mayfair's job anyway. "If he tries to transfer me, I'll quit." He pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. "I'm not going anywhere without you, Jane. Not ever again." And he would fight with every breath in his body to keep her from ever being taken from him.

No matter what it took.

Reassured by his words, Jane fell silent, and soon she was lulled into slumber by the steady thud off his heartbeat, Kurt following suit shortly after.

She awoke to her worst nightmare.

Seven guards with guns stormed into the room, six of them with their automatic rifles pointed at her, while the last one grabbed Kurt and placed his handgun to his temple, causing her to freeze before she even had time to react. The man yanked Kurt to his feet. "You . . . you're coming with us."

" _No!"_ Jane said desperately. "No. Take me instead. Kurt—"

"It's okay, Jane," Kurt assured her, silently cursing himself for not warning her something like this might take place. It had slipped his mind after their earlier conversation, and he honestly hadn't thought it would happen this quickly, but once again, he had underestimated Rich. And he couldn't alert to the fact that he had asked for this meeting now without risking her reacting and potentially getting hurt. He suspected the guards were under orders to keep them alive at all costs, but that left a lot of leeway if she attacked them. "I'll be fine. Don't worry about me."

The sight of her distraught face as they dragged him out the door would give _him_ nightmares in the days to come.

The guard released him as soon as the door closed, and they walked down the hallway in silence. "In there," the man said, pointing to the last door on the right and closing it behind him as Kurt stepped inside.

There were no bars on these windows, Kurt noted in some amusement as he turned to face a waiting Rich Dotcom on the large computer screen in the center of the room. Clearly, the man was supremely confident he would never leave Jane. Which he was right to be. "Hello, Rich."

"Stubbles." Rich leaned back and studied the man before him. The expression in Weller's eyes . . . "She told you."

"That she spent the summer at a CIA black site thanks to me?" Kurt uttered harshly. "Yeah." He didn't bother to ask how Rich had known; the man was a world-class hacker, after all, in addition to having friends in all sorts of low places. "And your dragging me out like this probably won't help those nightmares. Was it really necessary to train _six_ guns on her?"

" _You_ asked for this meeting," Rich responded mildly. "And from the sounds of what she did to her CIA guards when she escaped . . . a dozen would have been more appropriate. But don't worry, Stubbles . . . the guns weren't loaded. I wouldn't have risked hurting a hair on your little missus' head. You probably should have warned her you asked for this meeting, though." He leaned forward, his eyes sharpening. "So. What's this about?"

Kurt relayed what Jane had told him about Shepherd and her upbringing, the hold the man had over her, sparing no details and watching in satisfaction as the man's eyes narrowed dangerously.

Rich took a deep breath to reign in his temper when Weller finished. Whether this Shepherd realized it or not, his days on this earth were limited. But that didn't mean he was going to make it easy on the man in front of him. "So I assume you want my help taking him down? You realize that will cost you? My services don't come cheap."

"What do you want, Rich?" Kurt asked evenly. He had anticipated this reaction, but he had to admit, he was still unaccountably disappointed, though he didn't really know why. Rich was a criminal, after all. If he asked for a sex tape of him and Jane or demanded classified information that could compromise his principles and endanger innocent lives, Kurt was walking out of here, Shepherd or no Shepherd. He would find another way to deal with the problem.

"Your life."

Kurt's thoughts ground to a halt. " _What_?" Surely he hadn't heard Rich correctly.

"You heard me, Stubbles. Oh, don't look so alarmed," Rich chuckled. "I don't intend to have the guards drag you out back and shoot you. Their guns are loaded again, by the way, so don't get any ideas about trying anything. No, what I want is your promise that now that you and Jane have talked, you're not going to bullshit me into believing that you're a couple and then go your separate ways when you get back to New York. I want you to devote your life to making her happy. In fact, if you give me your word, you can go back home today.

"Or not," he added thoughtfully as Kurt looked unaccountably disappointed at the news. "You're more than welcome to stay as long as you like. Of course, there is a nationwide manhunt on for the two of you, so I wouldn't advise you extending your stay indefinitely. It's costing the taxpayers you're sworn to serve a great deal of money."

"I don't suppose you could convince them to call it off, could you?" Kurt asked hopefully, then shook his head at the irony of his asking _Rich Dotcom_ for such a favor. If you'd asked him seventy-two hours ago, he would've sworn that he would never ask the man for so much as the time of day. "Tell them we're your guests or something, and that you'll return us unharmed?"

Rich raised an eyebrow, silently requesting more information. Weller hesitated, and he hid his amusement as he waited him out.

"You'll be happy to know, I, uh . . . I asked Jane to marry me a little while ago," Kurt confessed. "I think she's going to say yes, but I'm still waiting on her answer, and I'd . . . I'd rather not go back to New York until it's all settled. So, you see, it's in your favor not to let us go yet." For once, their interests aligned. "And you have my word that I'll do everything in my power to make her happy."

"Well," Rich said after a moment, "that's an interesting turn of events. I'm impressed, Assistant Director Weller. You've got more game than I realized. Can I see the ring?"

"I, uh . . . I don't have one," Kurt confessed, frowning at Rich's clear look of disapproval. Well, it wasn't as if he'd _planned_ the proposal, after all. He and Jane hadn't even been a couple when they arrived. Technically, he supposed, they still weren't. "I, uh . . . I thought we could go together and pick one out when we get back."

Rich shook his head sadly. "That was a big mistake, Stubbles. Women love a man who puts some forethought into his proposal. Romantic evening out, ring at the ready, flowery speech, that sort of thing. Trust me, it's a major turn-on. Almost guarantees a yes and a night of coital bliss.

"Oh, yeah? And how many women have you proposed to, Rich?" Kurt asked dryly. "Speaking from experience, are you?"

"We're not talking about me," Rich responded glibly. "I know you're not the most charming of fellows, but . . . uh, oh. You didn't even get down on one knee, did you? Wow." He tugged at his beard. "Talk about making a muddle of things. On the bright side, you just earned yourself several more days as my guest. And I'll see what I can do to put your loved ones minds at ease. I _definitely_ can't allow you to leave there with things so . . . unsettled. You'd better let me provide you with a ring, and give you some tips on what to say."

"I appreciate the offer, Rich, but I think I've got things under control," Kurt responded wryly. "Jane's had few enough choices in her life that I'd like her to be able to pick out one she really likes."

"See? Now that was a really romantic thing to say. You can do it," Rich encouraged. "You should tell _her_ that. Okay. We'll try it your way, Cousin Stu. My offer stands, so let me know if you change your mind. In the meantime, I'll make some discreet inquiries into this Shepherd and get back to you. Talk to you soon."

And once again, he was gone before Kurt could blink.


	6. Chapter 6

I do not own Blindspot or its characters.

* * *

 **A/N:** Sorry for the long wait. I hope you enjoy it. Rating changed to M. Reviews are much appreciated. :)

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By the time Kurt returned, Jane had worked herself into a frenzy.

She had scrambled to her feet as the door began to slide closed and raced across the room, hoping against hope that she would be able to slip through before it shut all the way, but no such luck. She crashed into it just as it slammed shut, biting back a curse as her shoulder took the brunt of the impact. "Kurt!"

She glanced around, desperate to escape, to get to Kurt before those men could do whatever Rich had ordered, but knowing even as she did so that her efforts were in vain. The room was no less secure now than when they had first attempted to find a way out. She was trapped here.

And Kurt could be in mortal danger.

Jane closed her eyes as Kurt's words flooded through her mind. He'd expressed misgivings over and over about Rich's true motives, but she had been so caught up in her own pain, so focused on trying to make things better between them, that she had ignored all of his warnings. _Stupid_ , she chided herself now. Of course a criminal like Rich Dotcom hadn't locked them up here for altruistic reasons; he'd clearly had some other plan, and now that he'd apparently fulfilled it, they were expendable.

No doubt his men would return for her shortly. Jane sank down on the bed and buried her face in her hands, fully expecting to hear a gunshot any moment that would signal the end of Kurt's life. And there was nothing she could do, no way to help him.

She hadn't even got the chance to answer his proposal.

That was the saddest part of all, Jane realized now. That she hadn't followed her heart, hadn't cast caution to the wind and said _yes_ to Kurt, admitted to him what she'd felt in that first moment after he proposed. She hadn't told him that she loved him more than ever and wanted to be his wife more than anything.

And now she might never have that chance.

When the gunshot didn't come, she resumed pacing, striding to the window and craning her head this way and that in a vain attempt to catch a glimpse of Kurt before traversing the room and repeating the process all over again. Kurt had been the one hauled away, and he'd been much more calm than she was, Jane thought as she circled the room again, and then froze.

 _Kurt had been calm._

Jane swore under her breath in several different languages as that thought fully registered. He'd known. He'd known those men were coming for him, and he'd said nothing to her. After he'd just got done telling her that he wasn't going anywhere without her ever again.

Cold fury replaced her fear, and when she cast a glance around again, it was with a very different purpose in mind. She circled the room once more, fine-tuning her plan as she made several strategic adjustments. When she heard the door slide open again, she was ready.

"Jane?" Kurt called as he stepped into the room, frowning slightly when he didn't catch sight of her and she didn't respond. "Where are you?"

"Right here," Jane snarled as he passed the bookshelf she was leaning against, launching herself at him as he turned toward the sound of her voice and hooking her leg behind his, taking him down almost before he had time to register her presence.

Kurt groaned as he hit the floor, thankful for the thick carpet that somewhat cushioned the impact. He was getting too old to be taking hits like this, he thought before he looked into Jane's coldly furious eyes as she straddled him, and all thoughts fled his head entirely. "I guess, uh . . . I guess you figured out that I asked for that little chat."

"A little chat?" Jane asked icily. "Is that what we're calling it? Because I can think of a few other words." Words like _betrayal_ and _lack of trust._ And just when she'd thought they were done keeping secrets from one another.

Kurt flinched. He attempted to sit up, but a forceful shove on his shoulders convinced him of the wisdom of staying right where he was at. "Jane—"

"The other day, you accused _me_ of being in cahoots with Rich Dotcom," she continued as if he hadn't spoken, feeling her anger start to fade at the tenderness in his eyes and trying desperately to hold onto it. To avoid dealing with the real issue here. "And then _you_ turn around and jump into bed with him?"

Kurt winced at her choice of words. Jane was the _only_ person he would be jumping into bed with ever again. And Rich Dotcom was the very _last_ person he would go within a mile of one with. "Jane—"

"Do you have any idea what it was like for me to watch those men drag you out of here?" Jane demanded, no longer able to hold back her deepest fears about what had transpired. "To be powerless to help you? From the time I was a child, everything and everyone I've ever loved has been torn from me. And then you . . . you make me care for you, make me believe we have a chance at a future, and then you . . . You _promised_ you wouldn't go anywhere without me ever again. And then you turned right around and did just that." She shoved to her feet, unable to bear the sympathy in his eyes any longer, and stalked over to the window, wrapping her arms tightly around herself as if to ward off a chill that was only present inside her.

"But only just down the hall," Kurt attempted to reason with her. "And I did it because—"

"I thought they were going to _execute_ you, Kurt," Jane interrupted. "I fully expected them to take you outside and shoot you, and there was nothing I could do about it. I sat on our bed for the longest expecting to hear the gunshot, and then have them return for me." She had never felt so helpless in her life. She couldn't imagine her world without Kurt in it."

"Jesus, Jane." The emotional punch of her words was stronger than any blow to the gut he'd ever received. Kurt leaped to his feet and crossed the room in three quick strides, ignoring her stiffness as he turned her and pulled her tightly against him, cradling her head against his chest so she could hear the solid beat of his heart. "I'm sorry," he murmured over and over, kissing the top of her head each time to punctuate his words. "I'm so sorry, Jane."

Jane felt the remaining anger drain out of her. "Then why did you do it? What could you possibly have to say to Rich Dotcom that you couldn't talk about in front of me?"

"I, uh . . ." Kurt hesitated, and she started to pull away in frustration, but he gently tightened his hold to keep her in place. "I came up with a plan to deal with Shepherd, but I need his help to put it into motion."

"No!" Jane objected immediately. "Absolutely not! Kurt . . ." She stepped back enough to see his face and reached for his hands. "I love that you want to help me, but I'm not about to sit back and let you compromise your integrity to do it." That was one of the things she loved most about him. "A man like Rich Dotcom is not going to help you without a quid pro quo, and I don't want you to be beholden to him."

"Which is why I wanted to talk to him alone," Kurt told her. "I didn't want to get your hopes up in case Rich wasn't willing to help, or he demanded something from me I couldn't give."

"And you agreed to meet his price?" Jane asked, and Kurt nodded. "So . . . what did he want?"

"My life," Kurt told her and hastened to reassure her when Jane sucked in a breath. "Not literally. He wanted me to devote my life to making you happy. Which I have no problem doing. If you'll have me."

She owed him an answer to that, and she didn't intend to let much more time pass without telling him how she felt, but she sidestepped the question for the moment. "So what's the plan?"

Kurt led her over to the bed and tugged her down beside him before outlining his plan. Jane was stunned at the simplicity of it, but she actually thought it could work, and for the first time she could remember, she saw light at the end of the tunnel. "And you're sure you can live with that?" she asked anxiously. "I don't want you to feel like you have to—"

"Jane." Kurt met her gaze steadily. "I thought long and hard about this before I asked Rich for that meeting, and I'm more than okay with it. As far as I'm concerned, justice will have been served."

That was a strong statement for an officer of the law to make, and it deserved an equally passionate response. "In that case, I guess there's only one thing left to say," Jane said as she turned in one smooth motion and straddled Kurt's lap. " _Yes._ " She kissed him fervently.

"Just to be clear here," Kurt panted when they finally broke apart for air, "is that _yes_ to the plan, or . . ."

"Yes to the plan." Jane framed his jaw with her hands as she kissed him again. "And _yes_ to marrying you and spending the rest of our lives together. I promise you, I'll do everything in my power to make sure you never regret it."

"Oh, Jane." Kurt's eyes softened as he tenderly brushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "You don't need to _do_ anything. I fell in love with you just as you are. And I'll never regret that."

Jane's mouth fell open. She'd known that sentiment was implied with the marriage proposal, but to actually hear him say it . . . "I love you, too," she choked out as tears trailed down both their cheeks unnoticed and unchecked. They had eyes only for one another. "So I guess this means we're officially engaged, huh?"

"We'll pick out the ring on our way back," Kurt promised. "Well, assuming Rich returns my wallet." Which he assumed he would. The man certainly had no need of the meager cash to be found there. His expression turned sheepish. "I guess I didn't need to ask him for those extra days here after all."

"You mean . . ." Jane leaned back as a laugh shook her. "Rich offered to let us go, and you decided to stay?" She couldn't believe he'd done that. The team and his family must be worried sick. "Why would you—"

"I didn't want to leave here until I'd convinced you to say yes," Kurt admitted. "And I was hoping for a little more time alone. I know real life is going to be rough for a while once we get back to New York, and I . . . I wanted a moment that was just us." Or in this case, a couple days. He smiled as Jane's eyes lit with the memory and leaned forward tantalizingly slowly to kiss her.

Jane closed her eyes as Kurt kissed her gently, chastely, just as they had that long-ago night on the street, and groaned when he finally deepened the kiss, molding her body to his. She slipped her hands beneath his shirt, desperate for the feel of bare skin under her palms, and traced the firm muscles of his back before breaking the kiss to tug his shirt up and off him.

"Jane," Kurt whispered as she tossed the garment to the side and then shed her own, bringing his hands up to stop her when she would have removed her bra as well. "We don't have to do this now. Are you sure you're ready to—"

"Make love to my fiancé?" Jane finished. "I'm ready, Kurt. I want this." Though she found his concern for her, his willingness to take things slow, incredibly touching. This might not be the first time she'd been engaged, but it was the only time that mattered. She couldn't remember another man ever looking at her with the reverence he was currently displaying. "I want _you."_ She kissed him again.

He wanted her too. More than he'd ever wanted any other woman. Kurt gently tightened his hold on Jane and rolled her beneath him without ever breaking the kiss. He was just starting to make his way down her neck when his hand brushed the scar on her stomach, and he recalled his earlier intentions before Rich Dotcom's help had so rudely interrupted them.

"Kurt?" Jane asked, raising her head to look at him when he abruptly ceased his exploration of her neck and moved down her body, pressing his lips to her now mostly-healed wound. "What are you doing?"

Kurt grinned up at her boyishly. "I'm kissing it and making it better. Is it working?" He still got a pit in his stomach every time he thought of what she had endured. He couldn't change what had happened in the past, but he could give her new memories— _better_ memories—to hold onto. He could replace the abuse with adoration.

"Mmm," Jane confirmed as a delicious shiver snaked its way down her spine. "I could get used to this."

"You're going to have to," Kurt assured her as he moved back up until they were face-to-face once more. "Because I intend to kiss each and every spot where you were hurt." Starting with the bruises he'd seen on her face when he'd first laid eyes on her again. He smiled down at Jane as he kissed her forehead, her cheekbone, her chin.

"That may take a while," Jane commented. "I was pretty much one big bruise when I escaped."

"That's okay." Kurt's grin widened. "I've got nowhere else to be. Do _you_?"

Jane rocked her hips into his, relishing the low groan the action dragged out of him. "Nowhere that I have to leave this bed to go." She smiled at the dumbfounded look on his face, but it quickly changed to a frown when he gazed down at her without moving. "Do you need me to draw you a map, or . . ."

Kurt chuckled as his lips returned to her neck. "I think I can manage," he whispered in her ear on the way, nibbling on the lobe, and he smiled against her bird tattoo as she instinctively pressed closer to him. "Why don't you just lay back and enjoy it? Let me pick the path to our destination this time. I promise you won't be disappointed." This first time was _all_ for her.

She obediently did as he asked, and Kurt was as good as his word. Jane closed her eyes, expecting him to continue his path down her neck to her chest when he removed her bra, but he changed directions and knelt down at her feet instead, divesting her of her shorts and underwear as well. In fact, every time she thought she knew where he was going, he altered course, and by the time he pushed her over the edge that first time—much more quickly than she'd anticipated—she was a panting, quivering mess.

Kurt propped himself up on one elbow and stroked Jane's damp hair as he waited for her to open her eyes once more, taking inordinate pride in how long it took her to come back to earth. "Hey."

"Hey," Jane whispered back, smiling blissfully as she wrapped a hand behind his neck and tugged him down to kiss him. He shifted, his body aligning perfectly with hers, and she groaned at the hard feel of him against her, feeling that ache start to build deep inside her once again. She wanted him, and she wanted him _now._

"Wait," Kurt panted as Jane started to undo the button on his shorts, suddenly recalled to reality as a thought occurred to him. Something he should have thought of earlier. "The TV—" Rich had said he would be in touch soon, and he wasn't about to give the man the show he had always wanted.

"I unplugged it," Jane assured him, not in the least deterred. "I was determined not to have any interruptions this time." The third time really was going to be the charm if she had anything to say about it.

"You planned this," Kurt said in wonder as he sat up and removed his shorts, relieved that Jane had put such forethought into their first time together and wasn't simply acting on the emotions of the moment. He grabbed one of the condoms Rich had so thoughtfully provided from the nightstand drawer and quickly put it on.

"You bet I did," Jane admitted as Kurt eased back down to her. "And before we do this, there's one more thing you should know. Since you're my fiancé now and all." She leaned up and whispered her real name in his ear. "But if it's all the same to you, I think I'd prefer to stay Jane."

"I think you'll always be Jane to me," Kurt agreed, and Jane smiled as she lay back and closed her eyes once more. But that was the last thing he wanted this time. "Look at me," he urged as he lined himself up at her entrance, wanting them to be connected at every level as he joined their bodies for the first time.

Jane forced her eyes back open, and they both groaned in unison as he guided himself inside her. Kurt leaned down to kiss her, giving them both a minute to adjust before he began to move, settling into a slow rhythm that would enable him to make this last as long as possible. He never wanted it to end.

He held out as long as he could, keeping his eyes locked with Jane's the entire time. He brushed the tears from her cheeks with his thumbs before interlacing their fingers as he quickened the pace, and they cried out one another's name as they tumbled over the edge in unison.

Jane tightened her arms around Kurt as he collapsed onto her, thrilling at the feel of him surrounding her so completely while still so intimately connected. "I love you," she murmured when she could finally speak again.

"Love you too," Kurt returned, kissing her gently before rolling off her and going to dispose of the condom. He hefted her up in his arms when he returned, smiling at her surprised yelp, and slid them both beneath the covers, tugging her into his side until there was no space between them.

"I like this," Jane commented as she burrowed her head into the crook of his neck. "And just for the record . . . the reality is _way_ better than my fantasies."

Kurt felt a surge of pride even as he shook with laughter. "Mine too," he admitted, hardly able to believe that not so very long ago, he wouldn't even admit to having those fantasies and now the living, breathing reality was in his arms. And would soon be wearing his ring. "I owe Rich a big debt of gratitude. You're the only woman I ever really saw myself having a future with, but I'd given up on that."

Jane raised her head to look at him. "What does it look like?" she asked him seriously. "Our future?" They'd talked about her professional aspirations, which would be a challenge now that she was marrying her future boss, but not his own career goals, or where they were going as a couple. "You said once that you wanted kids, but you didn't think you could be the dad you wanted to be while you were doing this job. Now that you're the assistant director, you don't have to be out in the field, so have you changed your mind about that?"

Kurt was silent for a long moment. "I guess I hadn't really thought about it." He'd been so focused on the present, on fixing his issues with Jane in the past, that until this moment, the future had seemed vague and unformed. But now that she had brought it up, he couldn't stop thinking about it. "I . . ." He smiled as an image flashed across his brain. "I have to admit, I like the idea of a little girl with her mom's beautiful eyes and big heart. If you . . . if that's something you would be willing to consider.

"Funny," Jane said softly. "I was just thinking that I wanted a little boy with his dad's good looks and stubbornness and compassion." Her expression turned wistful. "I'm not sure—"

"You'll make an awesome mom, Jane," Kurt assured her. He could see by her expression that he had correctly divined what she was thinking. "Our kids will be lucky to have you." He grinned at her. "I guess that means we'll have to have one of each."

"At least," Jane agreed. After all, it was conceivable that they could have two boys to begin with. Or two girls. "Guess you might get all those kids you wanted after all."

"Whether we have a whole houseful or none at all," Kurt told her, "I've got all I _need_ right here in my arms." The house with the big yard, the kids, that would just be icing on the cake. She was the most important thing in the world to him. He was determined never to lose sight of that again.

Jane smiled as she rested her head on his chest, relishing the strong, steady beat of his heart beneath her ear. Reveling in the fact that it now belonged to her. "How did I get so lucky?" she murmured. "With all my baggage—"

"I have plenty of baggage of my own," Kurt interrupted. "I'd say that's what makes us the right people for each other." Who else could understand what they had been through so well as one another? "Now," he said, flashing her a wolfish grin as the door slid open to the dining room, signaling lunch was ready, "let's go eat. You're going to need to keep your strength up, because I don't intend to let you leave this bed again anytime soon."

She was more than happy to comply.


	7. Chapter 7

I do not own Blindspot or its characters.

* * *

 **A/N:** Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed this story. Your feedback has been much appreciated. There should be one more chapter to go, and I'll try to have it up soon.

* * *

Kurt awoke feeling like he wasn't alone.

And it wasn't because Jane was in his arms. Or because of how tangled up the two of them had become, not just physically in this moment, but emotionally over the past few days. No, he definitely felt like someone was watching him. Watching _them._

He shifted to try to get a better vantage point, and Jane's arms tightened around him, mumbling her displeasure in her sleep as she felt him shifting away from her. He pressed a gentle kiss to her hair as he raised his head and spotted Rich Dotcom on the TV screen watching them with an almost maniacal gleam in his bright eyes. He knew he shouldn't have plugged that accursed thing back in after their last go-round.

"Well, well, well," Rich said much too cheerfully for so early in the morning, "From the looks of things, I'd say you and the little missus made up quite memorably, Cousin Stu. Accepted your proposal, did she?" His grin broadened at Kurt's reluctant nod. "Excellent. I knew you'd come around. You were just confused. But from now on, you should probably let Jane take the lead in the relationship. Trust me, things will run much smoother if you start off assuming the woman always knows best."

How had his life come to this? Kurt wondered as he instinctively pulled the blanket up higher to make sure Jane was covered. How had he wound up not only in cahoots with a sociopathic criminal who was probably wanted by every country on the globe, but being forced to take relationship advice from him as well? He must have taken a wrong turn somewhere, but for the life of him, he couldn't find it in himself to regret it. The woman in his arms was worth any amount of indignities he had to suffer.

"I hate to disturb you at such an early hour," Rich continued briskly, "especially after you apparently had such a . . . productive night, but we have business to discuss." He gestured to Jane. "Wake her up."

Kurt frowned at Rich's autocratic tone even as he leaned over to do as the man said. No sense suffering his presence any longer than he had to, even if they were partners now, of a sort. "Jane," he murmured softly, then louder. "Jane, wake up."

Jane smiled as she sleepily blinked open her eyes to see Kurt gazing tenderly down at her. "Morning," she greeted as she leaned up to kiss him lingeringly, not realizing they weren't alone.

"Now that's a proper good morning, kiss," Rich approved, and Jane pulled back hastily, burying her head in Kurt's neck as her cheeks flamed with embarrassment. "Excellent. I can't tell you how relieved I am not to have to worry about the two of you any longer. Now on to business. I'm about to leave for Africa to put phase one in motion, and—"

"So soon?" Jane interrupted anxiously. They were only going to get one shot at this; she didn't want Rich screwing it up by going off half-cocked.

"No time like the present. Don't worry," Rich added when Jane continued to look very worried, choosing not to take her lack of trust personally, after all he had just done for her, "I've got this. What's the expression? Oh, yeah. This isn't my first rodeo. Especially not in that part of the world. I met a detective that actually reminds me a lot of Stubbles there in Pretoria a few years back, and we shared a very . . . memorable weekend."

Of course, he had left the man's bed—and the country—with several priceless artifacts, so there was an outside possibility the detective might not be happy to see him. But he was sure he could find a way to patch up that potential misunderstanding if it existed. "I'm sure I can convince him to help me." Or rather, feed the man a cover story that would enable him to use the detective as a patsy to accomplish his true goal. He could lie well when he put his mind to it. "Before I leave, though, I do have a few more questions about Shepherd."

"Shoot," Kurt said curtly, anxious to have this over with so he could give Jane a proper good morning. It was sheer torture feeling her bare skin against his and finally having the freedom to enjoy it, only to be hampered by Rich's presence.

Rich raised an eyebrow. "In a hurry are we, Cousin Stu? I can't say I blame you." Kurt glared at him, and he held up his hands to placate him. "Okay, okay." He fired several questions at Jane, and she answered to the best of her ability until he was finally satisfied. "Well, I think that's all I need for now. Feel free to stay as long as you like, but keep in mind that there are people looking for you."

He smiled a little at the memory of how that conversation had gone, unable to resist needling Weller a bit more. "By the way, Stubbles, your sister was there when I made contact with the team, and I gotta say, she's pretty hot. Especially when she's angry. She called me a son of a bitch, even though I assured her you were my guests, and I was treating you well. Is she single, by any chance?"

Kurt growled, and Rich hastily backtracked. "Never mind. I can see my charms are lost on you, and you wouldn't appreciate me as a brother-in-law. Besides, in case you didn't know it, there is _definitely_ something going on between her and Agent Reade." He was surprised to see by Weller's face that he did. "Anyway, your breakfast will be ready shortly, so I'll leave you two to work up an appetite. I'll be in touch again soon. And feel free to take the condoms with you when you leave. Or anything else you want." It appeared they would come in handy, unless those two wanted baby Wellers sooner rather than later.

The screen went black, and Kurt heaved a sigh of relief as he turned his attention back to Jane. " _Finally._ I think that may be the first suggestion Rich has ever made that I am completely on board with."

"What's that?" Jane teased innocently. "Taking the condoms with us when we leave?"

Kurt chuckled as he rolled her beneath him. "That's not a bad idea, but at the moment, I'm more interested in working up an appetite before breakfast."

Jane had no objections to that plan, and the two of them quickly became so engrossed in one another that they didn't even hear the door to the dining room slide open. Their breakfast was lukewarm by the time they took their seats at the table.

Though it appeared only one of them had worked up that appetite. "What's wrong, Jane?" Kurt asked gently as she pushed her food around her plate rather than eating it.

"It's just . . ." Jane glanced at the now-open door leading out of the dining room as she shook her head slightly. "I know the feelings we have for one another won't go away when we head home, but a part of me wishes we could stay here forever. I know it's silly, but I can't remember ever being this happy, and I don't want real life to take that feeling away."

"That's not silly at all," Kurt assured her. "I'm happier than I've ever been as well, Jane." He reached over and covered her hand with his. "We can't stay here forever, but we don't have to leave immediately either. We can take a little more time for ourselves." He thought they'd more than earned that, after all they'd been through recently. After all Jane had been through her entire _life._ A few more hours one way or another would be forgotten as soon as his sister and the team knew they were safe, but it would mean the world to Jane. And to him. "Why don't you finish your breakfast and we'll go explore the house, maybe take a walk along the beach?" Maybe take a shower together if there was a bigger bathroom in the house.

Jane brightened, and she turned her hand over so she could grip his as she turned her attention back to her food. She made short work of cleaning her plate, eager to explore their expanded surroundings with him, to figure out where they were, and kept hold of Kurt's hand as they got to their feet and headed out the door and down the hall to the room where he had conversed with Rich yesterday.

The staff had cleared out, Kurt noted with amusement. Along with all the electronics. Clearly, Rich was taking no chances that Patterson would be able to trace his location. Not that he wanted her to, given what Rich was currently doing for them. Taking down Shepherd's organization trumped catching him at the moment. Saving Jane trumped ever catching him. He was relieved to see their original clothes neatly folded on the table where the computer had been, along with his wallet and a set of car keys. Their cell phones were noticeably absent, however.

Jane's eyes widened when they reached the ground floor. She knew Rich had expensive tastes, but the house was much larger and more lavish than she had imagined. And the beach just a short walk away was breathtaking. "Where do you think we are?"

"My guess is the Hamptons," Kurt told her. "Based on where the sun was at when we woke up, I don't think we were out all that long." Not more than a couple hours, he was guessing. The flight itself would only have taken about forty-five minutes, giving Rich's people plenty of time to strip them and dump them into bed together. As grateful as he was to the man, he was still equally pissed about that, more even on Jane's behalf than his own. It was a gross invasion of privacy.

"So we're only a couple hours from New York," Jane mused. "If we drive back."

"Mmm," Kurt agreed. "In a hurry to get back all of the sudden, are you?" He had spotted the car he assumed belonged to the set of keys they had found in the driveway, but he was looking forward to at least one leisurely walk along the beach before they left. He would be more than happy to stay the extra couple of days he had asked Rich for if that was what she wanted. What she needed.

"No," Jane admitted, "but I think we probably should. Your sister and the team are bound to be worried sick about you."

"About _us,_ " Kurt corrected and frowned at her skeptical look. "Jane. They do care about you. I know it may not have seemed like it lately, but they wouldn't still be so upset if you didn't mean so much to them. Just give them time. They'll come around." Hopefully sooner than later, once they saw he had forgiven her. "Don't give up hope."

"I won't," Jane said softly. After all, if Kurt could get past what she had done enough to want her for his wife, perhaps her friendships with the others could be salvaged. "They're going to think you've lost your mind, you know."

Kurt tugged her close and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Maybe at first," he acknowledged, "but in no time, they're going to be wondering how I got so lucky." He was already wondering that himself. He still felt like he was in a dream that he was going to wake up from any moment now. Jane tensed, and he turned to face her. "I'm not going to change my mind, you know that, right? Like I said the other day, my personal life is my own, and other people don't get a say." No matter how well-meaning they might be, they would be dead wrong in any objections they voiced.

Jane smiled slightly. "I know. It's just . . . You guys are the closest thing I've ever had to family, and I wish they were going to be happy for us, instead of . . ." She shrugged.

"Sarah will be," Kurt reassured her. His sister wanted nothing more than for him to be happy, and once she saw that he was, he imagined she would embrace Jane wholeheartedly. If they weren't careful, she might even start planning their wedding for them. "I know you don't know her very well yet, but I think the two of you will be good friends." He wished she didn't live so far away now. "Things will work out, you'll see.

"Now come on," he added, wanting to distract her from the pensive mood she had fallen into, "it's a beautiful day, and we've been cooped up in this house long enough. Let's get a shower, and go for a walk, and then I'll make us some lunch. We can head back after that, if you still want to."

She was fairly certain she would _never_ want to, but then again, she had never been one to run from her problems. And Kurt's optimism was infectious. She did want to mend fences with the team . . . and get to know his sister—her future sister-in-law—better. "Sounds good."

It turned out the house did have a shower large enough for two, and it was almost an hour before they finally made it to the beach. As if by unspoken agreement, they had both donned the most modest of the outfits Rich Dotcom had provided for them, neither of them wanting to put on their work clothes until they were ready to return to real life. Fortunately, it was an unseasonably warm day for this time of year.

Kurt slipped his arm around Jane's waist as they walked, and she rested her head on his shoulder. "It's beautiful here," she mentioned when they finally reached the end of their private stretch of beach and turned back toward the house.

"Maybe we can come back sometime," Kurt suggested. "For a vacation, or . . . or our honeymoon." Though he would prefer to get a little farther away for the latter. Somewhere where he couldn't be easily recalled to work in a crisis. They could do without him for a few days. Or a few weeks.

He took his time fixing lunch, and the two of them lingered over the meal, neither of them wanting to leave, but aware their time here was almost at an end. But their time together was only just beginning. They had their whole lives together to look forward to, so there was certainly no reason to be sad, and Kurt told Jane so as they changed back into their own clothes and packed up the few mementos of their time here that they wanted to take with them in suitcases they had found in a hall closet. Kurt surreptitiously slipped the condoms into his, and Jane placed the Kama Sutra playing cards in hers. Well, they might not _need_ them, but there was nothing to say they couldn't _enjoy_ them at some future date.

The drive home was accomplished largely in silence, each of them lost in their own thoughts, but taking comfort in one another's presence. They made one significant detour on the way, and by the time they arrived back in the city, Jane had a diamond engagement ring on her ring finger. "Are you sure you don't want to wait a while to announce this?" she asked, twisting the ring nervously as they pulled into the FBI parking garage. "I'll understand if you'd rather—"

"Jane," Kurt interrupted. "There will be no skulking around. You're my fiancée, and I am not ashamed of that. I'm not ashamed of _you._ " He leaned over and kissed her firmly, framing her jaw with his hands as he did so. "I love you."

Jane's heart melted at his words. He always knew exactly what to say to reassure her. "I love you too." She brought her hands up to cover his, squeezing gently, before opening her car door. "Now let's go let everyone know we're back."

Despite her brave words, Kurt could see how nervous Jane was, and he reached for her hand as the elevator ascended to their floor, uncaring of how unprofessional it might look at the moment. They could establish those boundaries later.

Sarah's voice was the first thing he heard as the elevator doors slid open. "There has to be something else you can do, dammit! Kurt wouldn't give up if it was one of you guys god knows where out there in danger. You can't just—"

"Hey, sis," Kurt greeted, effectively cutting off her tirade. Sarah spun around and then froze in her tracks, hesitating for a split second, her eyes welling with tears, before she launched herself at him, and Jane dropped his hand, stepping back to give the siblings a moment alone.

The team was right behind her, Pellington and Nas with them, and in moments Kurt was surrounded, everyone talking at once, and Jane was on the fringes of the group, once more feeling completely alone. "Okay, everyone, quiet down," he ordered, glancing around for Jane and pulling her through the crowd to his side. "We'll answer all your questions, but why don't we take this into the conference room where we can be comfortable?"

Zapata's eyes narrowed at Weller's familiarity with Jane, but she fell into step with the rest of the group as they did as he asked, Pellington contacting the appropriate people to call off the search. "We thought for certain you two were goners when Rich got what he wanted," she said as they all took their seats.

Kurt's brow furrowed. "What are you talking about?"

"You don't know?" Reade asked. "Rich and his pal Crabb waltzed in here yesterday and stole the painting he restored." It had been the last of the Gardiner paintings he hadn't gotten away with when he took that flying leap off the building. He now had the complete set. "He told us when he contacted us that he needed you and Jane out of the way because you two were the only ones with the brainpower to stop him. Why? What did he tell you about why he abducted you?"

Son of a bitch. Kurt and Jane exchanged stunned glances. They should have known Rich had more up his sleeve than merely concern for their well-being. He had well and truly played them. "He, uh . . . he locked us in a room together and told us that he'd heard we were having a . . . a difference of opinion, and he wasn't letting us out until we'd worked through it."

"And did you?" Patterson asked. "Or did he just let you go after the heist?" She found herself really hoping that it was the former. She was tired of all the tension around here, and she wanted to be able to be friends with Jane again without being judged by her fellow agents for taking sides, when in her book no such divide existed. Both sides had made mistakes, but they were all on the same team.

Kurt reached for Jane's hand. "We did. In fact . . ." He lifted Jane's hand up onto the table, so everyone could see the ring. "I asked her to marry me, and she said yes. We're engaged."

Stunned silence descended on the room for approximately five seconds, and then everyone was talking at once again. Jane ignored the chorus of disapproving comments and focused on Sarah Weller. She seemed stunned by the news, but not at all displeased as Jane had feared. She leaped up from her seat as their eyes met and pulled Jane into a hug. "Welcome to the family," she whispered in her ear. "I can see Kurt's happy, and I'm thrilled for you both. But if you hurt him, I promise you, I will make you pay."

"I won't," Jane said with such conviction in her voice that Sarah knew she didn't have a thing to worry about.

"Good." She smiled at her future sister-in-law. "I'll probably have to head back to Washington tomorrow, since I've been away from my new job too long already, but maybe we could go out to dinner tonight, get to know one another better? I've always wanted a sister."

"I'd like that," Jane agreed, and with that, at least one aspect of her future seemed to be settled.

Kurt had gotten to his feet as well, and he wrapped an arm around Jane's waist as soon as Sarah stepped back. "I want to make something very clear from the outset. You all have a right to your opinion about Jane, so long as it doesn't affect your ability to do your jobs, but you don't have a right to an opinion about my personal life." He glanced down at her. "About _our_ personal lives. I understand why Jane acted as she did, and I have forgiven her. In fact, I love her with all my heart. Whether or not you choose to try to understand and forgive her as well is up to you, but I do expect you to treat her with dignity and respect." Something that had been sorely lacking on their end for some time. "Is that understood?"

There was a chorus of _yes, sirs_ from the team, one grudging, the others neutral, and even Pellington gave him a reluctant nod of agreement. "Good." He glanced at his sister. "Sarah, would you excuse us for a few minutes?" She didn't look happy, but she exited the room without comment. "We've come up with a plan to stop Shepherd, but we're going to need all your help."

"I'm in," Reade said instantly, and the others followed suit, even Zapata unhesitatingly offering her support.

"Good," Kurt said, taking a deep breath before he launched into the details of the plan he could share with them. "Here's what we want to do . . ."


	8. Chapter 8

Still don't own Blindspot or its characters. Or they would be making better decisions!

* * *

 _Three months later_

It was rare that he awoke earlier than Jane, but Kurt was grateful that this morning was one of those times. He propped himself up on one elbow and smiled as he gazed down at her peaceful face. He didn't get to see her this relaxed nearly often enough, though hopefully after today it would be a more regular occurrence.

Hopefully after today, they could finally get started carving out that future they had planned all those weeks ago at Rich Dotcom's. College, a wedding, the pitter patter of little feet. Making those little ones. He couldn't wait.

But first, everything had to go smoothly today.

"You're staring," Jane mumbled sleepily as she reluctantly opened her eyes, the love in his taking her breath away. Even after all these months, she still hadn't gotten used to that. She hoped she never took it for granted.

"Sorry," Kurt apologized, though he wasn't in the least bit regretful. At least not for watching her. "I didn't mean to wake you. You're usually up before me."

"Mmm," Jane agreed as she wound her arms around his neck and pulled him down to her for a lingering kiss, groaning at the feeling of his bare skin against hers. " _Someone_ wore me out last night." Not that she hadn't been a more than willing participant. They had both needed the reassurance of one another's love before the uncertainty of today, and their lovemaking had been both tender and poignant.

Today was the day they were finally going to take down Shepherd, and they were both fully aware of how easily something could go wrong. Of the possibility that this might have been their final night—might be their final _morning—_ together.

"Is that so?" Kurt teased as he shifted until he was fully on top of her, his eyes darkening as their bodies aligned from chest to toe, and he brushed a stray lock of hair back from Jane's eyes before leaning in for another kiss. "Good thing your boss is planning to let you sleep in this morning then." After he sated the need that was building in both of them again.

There was an edge of desperation this time around, and when they had finished, he rolled onto his back, cradling Jane to his chest and running a hand up and down her spine as their breathing returned to normal and hers slowed even further as she drifted toward sleep once more. "Jane?" he murmured.

"Hmm?" Jane responded, suspended between wakefulness and the dreams of a bright future which had largely replaced her nightmares. And that future was a great deal closer than Kurt knew. She couldn't wait to share with him the news she had received several days ago. It had been all she could do to keep it in, but it would make their victory celebration that much sweeter.

"I love you," Kurt told her fervently. He made a point to tell her that regularly, but never had it been more important than now. He would tell her that as often as he could today until she left to meet Shepherd. He didn't ever want her to be in doubt that she was the most important person in the world to him.

"Love you too," Jane mumbled back automatically just before sleep claimed her.

It was after eight when she awoke again, this time lured from slumber by some delicious smells emanating from the kitchen. She was just sitting up when Kurt appeared in the doorway with a tray. "Ah, I see Sleeping Beauty has awakened," he teased. And from the way her eyes had brightened at the sight of the food he carried, she had done so with quite an appetite. He set her glass of orange juice on her nightstand and removed his own before setting the tray across her lap and making his way back to his side of the bed.

"Just in time to greet her Prince Charming," Jane joked right back. Kurt might not be the stereotypical hero of fairy tales, but he was absolutely perfect for her. And most importantly, he could cook.

Kurt leaned over and kissed her before they both dug into their breakfasts. Jane bit back a moan as she tasted her first bite of omelet. "If I wasn't already in love with you, your cooking would have sealed the deal," she laughingly informed him. "I can't believe one of your girlfriends didn't find a way to drag you to the altar."

"I told you," Kurt said, smiling though his eyes were serious, "I'm too choosy." He reached for her free hand and pressed a kiss to it. "I was waiting for the perfect one."

"Kurt—" Jane's eyes misted at the compliment, even as she worried over the sentiment. She shook her head slightly. "I'm about as far from perfect as you could get." He wouldn't have had to compromise his principles to work with Rich Dotcom, to put his job, his reputation, on the line if she were.

"You're perfect for me," Kurt assured her. "You're not the only one who's made mistakes in the past, Jane, but after today, it will be just that." He hoped. "And for the record, I _never_ wanted the all-American girl with the picture-perfect upbringing, or I could have settled for that a long time ago. I wanted a woman who hadn't had an easy life either, who I would be comfortable talking to about . . . anything and everything, a woman who would fight to make the world a better place and give our kids the happy childhood we never had." He turned to face her fully, cupping her jaw as he looked at her with an earnest expression that he hoped adequately conveyed how serious he was. "I wanted _you._ Even before I knew you. Always you."

Jane couldn't speak for a long moment. "Me too. Even when I was . . . with Oscar, deep down it always felt like there was something missing. Like I was trying too hard to make pieces fit that just weren't meant to. The first thing I felt when Shepherd approved this mission was _relief,_ because it gave me an excuse to break our engagement." And the second had been a thrill of excitement that she would finally get to meet the Kurt Weller she had been studying from afar for so long. She remembered wondering if the reality would live up to the fantasies she had built about him, but it hadn't.

It had blown them out of the water.

And she would fight with her dying breath to keep him. "You were it for me before I knew you too," she continued. "I think I still knew that subconsciously at our very first meeting, even though I couldn't remember _you._ I'm still not sure I deserve you, but I'll be damned if I ever let you go."

"Jane—" Kurt reached for her hand again and threaded his fingers through hers. If it took him a lifetime, he was determined to make her see herself as he did. The past that she saw as making her unworthy of his love was what made her the most beautiful to him. "You don't ever have to worry about that. I've been waiting for you my whole life, and I don't plan to go anywhere without you ever again."

He leaned over and kissed her forehead. "So finish your breakfast, and let's get ready to head to the office. It's time to end this thing once and for all." Preferably by putting a bullet through Shepherd, if the man gave him half a chance.

It was nearly ten before they arrived at the office, and Kurt bit back a groan at the knowing smirk on Zapata's face as they stepped off the elevator. In all the years they had known one another, it was rare that she beat him to work, and he had never been this late. In his defense, it was going to be a long night . . . just like the previous one, though sadly much less pleasurable. Maybe the two of them should take a week off once this was over. "Good morning, Tasha."

"Morning, boss," Zapata greeted cheerfully, noting the happiness in his eyes that his stern face couldn't quite disguise. That look was a big part of why she had let go of her anger against Jane, and embraced her as a member of the team once more. She couldn't wait to pull her aside and pump her for details on what had clearly been a . . . _memorable_ night. Weller was normally a little better at concealing his emotions than that, especially on such a momentous day. "Hey, Jane. Why don't you come spar with me a while, since we've got a little time to kill?" And if she happened to be able to convince her to take a little detour by Patterson's lab on the way, so much the better.

"Sorry," Kurt intervened, having gotten adept at recognizing Zapata's blatant attempts to get his fiancée to spill details of their love life, "I'm afraid that will have to wait. Jane and I have a lot of things to discuss before she leaves to meet Shepherd."

"Uh-huh," Zapata said skeptically, having gotten just as adept at recognizing Kurt's protective boyfriend mode. Truthfully, she had anticipated it and had done it just to get that rise out of him. It never failed to amuse her. "Well, have fun . . . discussing." She grinned at the looks both of them shot her over their shoulders as they walked away, one annoyed, the other disbelieving.

"Until I met Tasha, I never knew you could make something so . . . routine sound so . . . suggestive," Jane commented as they walked into Kurt's office.

Kurt shook his head ruefully as he looked at her. "Why do you think I always tried to keep my relationships _out_ of the office in the past?" Zapata could pick up on who was sleeping with whom, or was about to, faster than anyone he'd ever met. She'd made a killing over the years in the office dating pool.

"It probably didn't help that you hustled me in here as soon as we arrived," Jane laughed as he took a seat behind his desk, and she perched on the edge of it. Or that she was sitting here like this, come to think of it. She reluctantly moved to the chair across from his desk. Why did the Bureau have to have glass walls? "Especially since there are several hours before I have to leave to meet Shepherd, and Tasha knows it. So. What did you want to talk to me about?"

"Nothing, really," Kurt answered as he gathered up the folders of paperwork that most urgently needed his attention and motioned Jane to follow him to the round table nearer the door. "I just wanted your company, and I thought I'd save you from being grilled by Tasha." And he knew the next few hours were going to drag by agonizingly slowly as he waited for the scheduled meet time to arrive. He needed a distraction from envisioning all the things that could go wrong. "Of course, if you would rather go hang out with your friends . . ."

Jane smiled as she reached over and took his hand, uncaring of who might see. "I'm already with the best friend I'll ever have." The best one she had ever _had._ She loved spending time with Tasha and Patterson, but Kurt was the first one she thought of whether she had exciting news to share or was simply in need of reassurance, and she knew he did the same with her. They had truly become two halves of a much better whole in the last few months.

The team ate lunch together in the conference room, and once they were finished, they went over the details of the mission once more insofar as they could. Jane had been able to describe the inside of Shepherd's compound, which gave them a slight edge in the inevitable firefight, but since she had been blindfolded every time she had been taken there, they still had no idea where it was.

They were going to have aerial surveillance trying to follow her, but Jane was going to have to wear a tracker today. Hopefully the modifications Patterson had made to it would keep it from being detected if Shepherd scanned her. Kurt's heart was in his throat as he listened to her give Jane final instructions on how to use it. So many, many things could go wrong today . . .

It still galled him to know that the safety of the woman he loved ultimately rested in the hands of Rich Dotcom. "Okay," Kurt said once they had covered everything they could think of, "go ahead and gear up. Jane and I will be along in a few minutes." He knew they were on a clock here, that Shepherd's man would be expecting her at the rendezvous point soon, but he needed one last moment alone with her.

The team was somber as they rose to go, each of them stopping to give Jane a hug and words of reassurance before filing out. She struggled to remain upbeat as she met Kurt's eyes. He clearly didn't need her adding to his worry at this point. "It's going to be okay," she said softly.

"You don't know that, Jane." She _couldn't_ know that. "This was my plan. If one thing goes wrong today . . ."

"It won't be your fault," Jane said fiercely, desperate to make him believe that. She didn't want him to carry the weight of something happening to her for the rest of his life, as he had done Taylor Shaw. "I know what I'm doing, Kurt, and I understood the risks when I agreed to this plan." Besides, it was the best—and only—option she had to get out from under Shepherd's thumb. And despite the odds being overwhelmingly against them, she was surprisingly confident that they would succeed. She wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head against his chest, drawing comfort from the steady beat of his heart. "No matter what happens, I've finally known what happiness feels like because of you. I love you, Kurt."

"I love you too, Jane," Kurt choked out as he crushed her to him, wishing he could hold on and never let go. He would be going after her soon enough, but he knew those idle minutes were going to feel like an eternity. She started to pull back after a few moments, removing her engagement ring from her finger for safekeeping, and he reluctantly loosened his grip, bringing a hand up to frame her jaw as she took a half-step back. "I'll see you soon, okay? We're coming for you." He held up the ring she had pressed into his hand. "This will be back on your finger in no time."

"I know," Jane responded simply, confidently. She already knew how he looked by heart, but she studied him for one long instant to commit every detail of this moment to her memory before turning on her heel and heading for the elevator without a backwards glance, knowing if she looked back she would never leave.

Both Shepherd and Rich Dotcom were waiting for her at the compound. "You know, having to travel in the trunk with a bag over my head is getting a little old," she complained as she maneuvered herself out of the vehicle. "I've done everything you've asked of me. I even introduced you to _him—_ " she gestured to Rich, "—when you needed technology your contacts promised that they couldn't deliver on." Technology Rich had made sure they couldn't deliver on. "What's it going to take for you to start trusting me?"

"I apologize if I've seen overcautious," Shepherd said smoothly, not sounding apologetic in the least. "The good news is, these precautions are no longer necessary. We have everything we need to set our plan in motion now, so there's no need for you to go back to the FBI."

It was all Jane could do to keep her poker face intact at that news. "Good," she managed to say, surprised at how level her voice was. "So what is the plan?"

"All in good time." Shepherd motioned them back toward the house. "First, I need to inspect the merchandise your Mr. Kimble brought us. He insisted on waiting for you." A mistake that would cost him his life. And perhaps Jane's as well. Despite every indication to the contrary, he still had his doubts about her loyalty.

"What can I say?" Rich laughed to cover his discomfort. He'd thought he was as hardened a criminal as one could get, but Shepherd . . . Shepherd made him feel like a boy scout. The man was seriously deranged. He was definitely doing the world a public service helping to take him out. He supposed everyone should have one good deed to their credit. "Jane's done a lot of the heavy lifting on this mission of yours. I'd hate for her to miss out on the fun."

"Let's just get this over with," Jane said curtly as they walked into Shepherd's office, moving her hand surreptitiously to her belt to turn on the tracker. She hoped the aerial surveillance had been able to keep eyes on her, and the team was close.

"Whatever you say, Janie. All work and no play, this one," Rich commented to Shepherd. "You really need to give her an all-expenses-paid vacation when this is over." Better yet, since the man was shortly going to prison for the rest of his life, he would use his fee to provide an all-expenses-paid honeymoon for her and Stubbles.

Shepherd withdrew his gun and pointed it at Kimble. "I suggest you follow her advice, or you may be taking a rather permanent vacation of your own."

Rich was suddenly very glad Jane was on _his_ side at the moment. He had seen her fight enough to know she could disarm the man any time she chose, if necessary. Not that he intended to force the issue. "Okay, okay." He held his hands up in a gesture of surrender before slowly lowering them and opening the briefcase he had placed on Shepherd's desk earlier.

The chip he had stolen was encased in the lock box that Shepherd had provided him that only he had the key to. He had wanted to ensure that Rich didn't find out what was on it. Rich smirked as Shepherd laid his gun down and moved to open the box. Let him have his fun now. He would be having the last laugh.

Perhaps he would even take the computer chip since it was unlikely he would get the fee he had negotiated.

"Hey, not so fast," Rich said, placing a hand on Shepherd's arm to stop him as he picked up the chip and started to move around the desk to his computer. Jane moved to stand behind Shepherd as the two men faced one another down. "I've shown you mine, now show me yours. Where's my money?" He removed his hand as Shepherd glared at him, but he stood his ground. He could be brave when it suited him.

Especially with a real-life ninja backing him up.

Before Shepherd could respond, gunfire erupted. He snatched his gun up and pushed past a suddenly compliant Kimble, bringing up the security cameras on the monitor. "The FBI is here," he snarled, training his gun on Jane. "Did you lead them here?"

"Of course not," Jane shot back, desperate to buy a few more minutes for Kurt to reach them. "How could I? I don't even know where _here_ is!" Technically speaking, that was the truth, which lent an edge of honesty to the lie.

Shepherd searched her gaze for any hint that she was lying to him, but he was as unsuccessful now as he had been since she returned. This person standing before him was a stranger; he wished he'd heeded his instincts and cut his losses with her when he'd had the chance. He'd let his reluctance to throw away the money he'd expended making such a valuable soldier outweigh his common sense. "Well, they tracked you here somehow. So if you're truly not working for them, I suppose you won't mind being my hostage to get me out of here."

Actually, she minded it very much. Not to mention, it was completely illogical. If she were still loyal to him, the FBI wouldn't hesitate to take them both out, if necessary, to stop them. But then, as smart as he was, Shepherd had always had others to do his dirty work for him, so thinking well under fire wasn't his strong suit.

She'd been counting on that.

Shepherd came around the desk, keeping his gun trained on her, and she patiently waited until he was in range before making her move, spinning around and kicking the gun out of his hand in one fluid motion just as the FBI stormed the house.

"Jane!" Kurt called as they finally made entry, desperate to lay eyes on her again. Praying nothing had happened to her before he could reach her.

"In here!" Jane called, sweeping Shepherd's feet out from under him as he looked at her with venom-filled eyes before making a desperate break for the gun.

"FBI!" Kurt identified himself as he raced into the room, training his rifle on a suddenly compliant Shepherd. Damn, he'd been hoping the man would give him an excuse to put a bullet in him.

At least he had the satisfaction of knowing that someone else would do it for him.

"Are you okay?" he asked Jane as soon as he had cuffed Shepherd, frantically scanning her for any injuries before hugging her tightly to him.

"I'm fine," she assured him over and over as he ran his hands over every inch of her that he could reach to check that for himself, holding onto him just as fiercely.

Kurt's eyes were damp when he finally drew back, and he pulled her ring from his vest pocket, unable to wait another minute to put it back where it belonged. "I believe this is yours." She extended her hand, and he slid it back onto her finger.

"Charming," Shepherd sneered. "But you'd better marry her quick." He might be going down, but he wasn't going down alone. "I'll have that gun you used to shoot the warlord in the hands of the South African police by the end of the day. The government will be demanding your extradition before the week is out."

To his surprise, Jane chuckled a little. "Oh, I'm sure they'll be asking for someone's extradition, but it won't be mine."

 _"_ _Hey, not so fast," Rich said, placing a hand on Shepherd's arm to stop him as he picked up the chip and started to move around the desk to his computer. Jane moved to stand behind Shepherd as the two men faced one another down, carefully angling her body to obstruct his view of Rich's briefcase as she put Kurt's tutelage to good use. "I've shown you mine, now show me yours. Where's my money?" He removed his hand as Shepherd glared at him, but he stood his ground. He could be brave when it suited him._

 _Especially with a real-life ninja backing him up. One who was currently making use of the sleight of hand skills Stubbles had demonstrated at their first meeting to swap Shepherd's gun for an identical one he had secreted in his briefcase._

Shepherd glanced around, suddenly much less sure of himself. "What are you talking about? Where's Kimble?" he demanded, feeling his heart sink as he realized the man had disappeared in the melee. Along with his briefcase. "You set me up!"

Jane and Kurt exchanged blank looks. "Who's Kimble?" she asked Shepherd. " _I_ don't know anyone by that name." Once again, technically speaking, that was the truth. "Is he one of your men?"

"Pretend all you want," Shepherd blustered, trying to ignore the growing feeling that he was being played somehow. "You'll be in a cell beside me soon enough, and you'll find out how much you mean to your _fiancé—_ " he cast Kurt a loathing glance, "—when his job and reputation are on the line. He'll drop you like a hot potato. You could have been a leader of a stronger, better nation, and instead you threw everything away for a future that is nothing but a pipe dream."

Jane simply smiled at Shepherd, not in the least bothered by his words. Kurt had already proven just how much she meant to him; she had nothing to worry about. Shepherd, on the other hand . . .

He was in for a rude awakening.

Her smile broadened as Reade and Zapata rushed into the room, anxious to see if she was all right, both of them grinning in relief and hugging her fiercely. _This_ was real. It was _right._ Shepherd was the one still clinging to a fantasy, and despite everything he had done, she couldn't help feeling a bit sorry for him. Maybe if he'd had friends like hers—a _love_ like hers—he wouldn't have turned out the way he had.

Kurt put Reade and Zapata in charge of securing the scene while they took Shepherd back to the NYO, and the two of them all but dragged him out of the house, still spewing threats as they secured him in the SUV and drove away. "My friends are going to kill you, you know," he raved to Jane. "They had a vested interest in seeing us succeed, and—"

"Enough!" Kurt slammed on the brakes and shot Shepherd a look in his rearview mirror that startled the man into silence. "The only one who is in any danger from your _friends_ is you." Thanks to Rich's stellar hacking skills. "The FBI received a tip from an anonymous informant about their involvement in a number of high-profile murders going back twenty years, as well as where to find the evidence to prove it, and the South African police are rounding them up as we speak. I don't imagine it will take them too long to figure out it came from you. I wouldn't want to be in your shoes when you're extradited back there."

"Extradited?" Shepherd laughed scornfully. " _I'm_ not going to be extradited. I didn't commit any crimes in South Africa, and even if I had, I had diplomatic immunity when I worked there."

"True," Kurt agreed, "but you didn't have diplomatic immunity years later when you murdered the warlord that killed Jane's parents. Oh, don't bother denying it. You ordered the hit, no matter who actually pulled the trigger. As far as I'm concerned, justice is being served."

Shepherd felt a cold chill snake down his back. "What . . . what are you talking about?"

"When the FBI runs ballistics on the gun you had in your possession today, it's going to match the bullet used to kill the warlord," Kurt said levelly. "You'll—"

"That's not possible!" Shepherd broke in. "That gun never leaves my side. It—" He broke off with a groan as he realized that it had, in fact, been out of his eyesight for several seconds today. More than long enough to make a switch. "But the bullet still wouldn't match—" He broke off as the certainty in Weller's earlier statement sank in. Clearly, they had switched that evidence out as well.

"Congratulations, Director Weller," he said bitterly. "I clearly underestimated you. Or perhaps I should say _overestimated_ you. I didn't think you were the kind of man to break the rules for a piece of tail."

Kurt's hands tightened on the steering wheel at the insult to Jane, but he forced himself not to rise to the bait. Shepherd would get what he deserved soon enough. "Like I said," he responded evenly, "justice is being served."

"They're never going to extradite me, you know," Shepherd taunted. "Not after everything I've done. You went to all that effort for _nothing._ I may die in prison, but I'll do it here in the U.S."

"Maybe," Kurt agreed, "but I wouldn't count on that. Countries use prisoners as bargaining chips all the time to make deals. And even if you do stay here, you'll spend the rest of your life in a Supermax, sitting in a cell for twenty-three hours a day. I can live with that."

He couldn't. Shepherd sucked in a breath as the implications of Kurt's statement sank in. Certain death in Africa versus a living death here. Neither was appealing. Fortunately, he had one more ace up his sleeve that he thought might serve him now. "How would you feel about making a deal to send me to a regular penitentiary and not run the ballistics on that gun?"

"A deal implies you have something that we would want," Jane shot back. "After everything you've done, what could you possibly give us that would make us agree to that?"

"Your brother," Shepherd returned quietly. "I can give you your brother."

* * *

 **A/N:** So this is the last chapter, but I may write an epilogue (or possibly a sequel) if anyone is interested. Reviews are much appreciated. :)


	9. Chapter 9

I do not own Blindspot or its characters.

* * *

 **A/N:** Decided to go with an epilogue rather than a sequel, since I started another new story. Enjoy! As always, your feedback is much appreciated.

* * *

The rest of the drive was accomplished in silence, Shepherd taunting them with a few more details but then refusing to say another word until they had a deal and Jane unwilling to let Kurt make it until they had a chance to talk. Her mind was racing the entire way to the office as she struggled to recall her life back then. She remembered her parents' deaths with chilling clarity, but she had been so young and so many of her memories were fragmented, at best, and the ZIP didn't help.

"Jane," Kurt said quietly once they arrived, handing Shepherd off to a waiting agent to be taken to an interrogation room and then pulling her into his arms. He could feel the tension flowing through her body, had seen the toll this news had taken on her the entire way here, and he was desperate to comfort her. "Talk to me."

"I don't . . ." Jane drew in a shaky breath. "I don't remember having a brother, Kurt." But she had no doubt Shepherd was telling the truth about that. He had never once offered a deal he couldn't back up. "My whole life, I've been alone, and all this time . . ." She shook her head. "How could I forget something that important? _Someone_ that important?"

Kurt brought his hands up to frame Jane's jaw, gently caressing her cheeks with his thumbs. "You were a traumatized little girl, sweetheart. And Shepherd did say your brother was just an infant. He'd probably been a part of your life for such a short time that it's no surprise you don't remember him."

Jane sighed as she rested her head on Kurt's chest. "I know. I am just so tired of my past being this gigantic black hole that keeps throwing surprises our way." At least this had proven to be a good one. Or at least she hoped it would. And speaking of surprises . . . "I have something I need to tell you."

"Oh yeah?" Kurt felt his heart skip a beat as Jane's tone shifted. It was still serious, but there was an undercurrent of anxious anticipation beneath it. "What's that?"

"Actually, it's two things." Jane drew back so she could see his face. "You know I've been working on getting financial aid to go to college, and I found out last week that I'd been approved. I'm thinking of enrolling in an online program." That would give her more flexibility with her schedule, which was something she was very much going to need.

"That's fantastic!" Kurt hugged her tightly. "Why didn't you tell me? Wait, why an online program? I thought you wanted the whole brick-and-mortar college experience."

"Well . . ." Jane drew out the word as she tried to gauge his reaction to her next bit of news. "I did, but it turns out there was something else I wanted more." She took his hand and placed it on her still very-flat stomach, smiling at the awe in his eyes as awareness began to dawn. "I'm pregnant, Kurt."

"You're . . ." Kurt had dreamed of this moment, had envisioned it a thousand times, but now that it was here, he couldn't speak past the lump in his throat. "Are you sure?" he finally managed to choke out. "How long have you known?"

"I'm sure," Jane assured him, squeezing onto his hand just as tightly as he was holding hers. "I haven't been to see a doctor yet, but every one of the home pregnancy tests I took was positive." And she had taken more than a few. "As for how long I've known . . ." She took a deep breath. "I found out a couple weeks ago. I wanted to tell you as soon as I found out, but plans were already underway for today, and I . . . I know we agreed not to keep secrets from one another anymore, but I didn't want to make this any harder for you than it had to be. It had to be done, Kurt, and I—"

"Jane. Stop," Kurt interrupted. "I get it." He didn't like it, but he did understand. She'd done the right thing. God, if he'd known, he didn't think he would have gotten through the planning of this mission, much less the actual execution of it. He would probably have bought some fake IDs and done his best to convince her to flee the country with him.

Not that Jane would ever have agreed to it. She had a knack for keeping him from making decisions that she knew he'd regret.

A grin split his face as the news began to really sink in. "You're pregnant!" He picked her up and swung her around, peppering her face with kisses before lowering her back to the ground, but still not letting her go. Hell, he was going to have difficulty letting her out of his sight ever again. "How are you feeling? Are you eating enough? Have you made a doctor appointment yet? I want you checked out as soon as possible, and—"

Jane chuckled, and he broke off, realizing how he sounded. "Sorry. I'm just . . . This is the most amazing news you could have given me, and I'm thrilled beyond words. I just wish I could have found out as soon as you knew. Maybe next time—"

"Oh, trust me," Jane interposed dryly. "The next time I even begin to _suspect_ I'm pregnant, you'll be holding my hand _while_ we wait for the test results." Those had been the longest few minutes of her life—more frightening than any gunfight she'd ever been in. To be honest, she was _still_ completely terrified. She'd trained her whole life to face armed gunmen, but she had _zero_ idea how to be a parent. It wasn't as if she'd had stellar examples of that. Or any examples at all, really.

"I'm looking forward to it," Kurt assured her as he drew her back into his arms. " _All_ of it." Not just some far-off future pregnancy, but the one they got to experience together now. The handholding through doctor's visits, and midnight snack runs to satisfy a craving, even the inevitable laments about her weight, and the terrifying prospect of the delivery room. He wouldn't trade a minute of it for the world.

Because they _were_ his world now.

And he would do anything in the world _for_ them. "Jane," Kurt murmured after some time had passed. "We need to talk about what to do about Shepherd."

Jane sighed. She had thought of nothing but that on the ride here, and she had come to a necessary but painful conclusion. "You've already made one deal with the devil to save me, Kurt. I don't want you doing it again. Don't give Shepherd what he's asking for. Maybe . . . maybe Patterson can work her magic and find out about my brother." Or perhaps Rich Dotcom, if she didn't have any luck and his price wasn't too outrageous.

"How about a compromise?" Kurt proposed. "I don't have enough pull to keep him from being sent to a Supermax, but I can see to it that the gun is buried in an evidence locker, as long as he gives us what we want."

Jane thought it through. "That might work. Shepherd is all about saving his own skin, and I think he'll recognize that's the best deal he's going to get. And we'll always have the gun as a deterrent against any schemes he might hatch before he's sent to the Supermax."

"Lost evidence does turn up occasionally," Kurt agreed, shifting to Jane's side but keeping his arm firmly around her waist as they started for the elevator. "Let's hope he takes the deal. We've got much more important things to be worrying about."

"Oh, yeah?" Jane matched his suddenly lighthearted tone. "Like what?"

Kurt grinned as he leaned down to kiss her, uncaring of who might see them on the camera. "Oh, you know . . . celebrating your going back to school. Building a nursery." He waited a beat, then added, "Planning a wedding."

Jane had chuckled at that last one, but she hadn't risen to the bait, Kurt recalled now. He'd been hoping to be married immediately, or at least before their son was born, but with Jane several days past her due date now, he'd been forced to concede that it wasn't going to happen. He'd talked her into getting a marriage license nearly two months ago, but all his efforts to convince her to follow through with a simple ceremony had failed. He would have been perturbed if he didn't understand her reluctance.

Jane felt she'd missed enough milestones with her brother, and she wanted him at their wedding. Shepherd had given them the name of the adoption agency he'd handed him over to all those years ago, but it was out of business now, making an already herculean task nearly impossible. Especially with the strict privacy laws governing adoptions.

Patterson had been spending every spare minute of the past seven months on it, and she had just told Kurt a few days ago that she had narrowed the list down to five, but it wasn't all good news. Two of them were dead, one in a car accident and one by suicide due to years of abuse from his adoptive parents. Kurt was praying Jane's brother wasn't either of those. She'd had more than enough tragedy, enough loss, in her life. She deserved nothing but happiness from here on out.

His phone rang, startling him from his thoughts, and he smiled when he saw Sarah's picture flash across the screen. She'd flown back East to be here for the birth of her nephew, and she'd been a godsend these past few days. Jane was beyond miserable at this point, and all his attempts to help her seemed to come up short. She had ordered him to come into work this morning and stop hovering, but he'd been essentially useless so far. "Hey, sis."

"Kurt." Sarah's voice was calm, but there was a note in it that put him instantly on alert. "Jane's in labor, and we're on our way to the hospital. She says to get your ass down here, but to have Reade or Zapata drive you, so you won't get into a wreck on the way. She wants you in one piece with her in the delivery room, not lying on a gurney beside her."

Kurt had leaped to his feet the instant he heard the words _Jane_ and _labor,_ but despite his anxiety, he couldn't choke back a laugh at her instructions. That was so reasonable—and so _Jane_ that he felt his heart flood with love for her all over again. "Will do. I'm on my way."

He started for the door of his office, but Patterson barged in just as he was reaching for the handle. "Weller. I've—"

"Not now, Patterson," Kurt interrupted. "Jane's in labor. I've got to get to the hospital."

Patterson moved to block his path. "In that case, you're going to want to hear this all the more . . ."

xxx

Kurt smiled at Jane as a nurse ushered him into the delivery room where she was propped up in bed, looking far more comfortable than he'd expected. Sarah was curled up in a chair nearby, and he nodded to her as he approached the bed, leaning over to give Jane a gentle kiss on the forehead. "Hey."

"Hey," Jane greeted. "What took you so long?" It had been over an hour since Sarah had called him. "You didn't get into an accident, did you?" Her eyes narrowed as she scanned him for injuries.

"No," Kurt assured her. "Patterson drove me. We just had to make a stop on the way." He glanced at his sister. "Sarah, could you give us a minute, please?"

"Sure," Sarah said obligingly. She'd been dying to hunt through the gift shop for the perfect present for her new nephew, but she hadn't wanted to leave Jane alone. "I'll check back in later. Call if you need anything."

"Will do," Kurt assured her, his attention already focused back on Jane, who was breathing through a contraction. "How are you doing?"

"Better now that you're here," Jane admitted. She'd been going crazy with worry when he'd taken so long to arrive, and Sarah couldn't reach him. "Where did you have to stop?"

Kurt smiled down at her as he smoothed a stray lock of hair out of her eyes. "At your brother's. Patterson found him. His name is Ian Conway, and he actually only lives about ten blocks from us. He'd been told that you died along with your parents, so it took a while to convince him that I was on the level, but he's here, and he wants to meet you."

"You're sure?" Jane asked anxiously, a huge smile blooming on her face when Kurt nodded. "Go get him. Please." It felt like she'd been waiting for this day for an eternity. She swung her legs over the side of the bed as Kurt hurried away to do as she asked, nearly breathless with anticipation. She got to her feet as the door started to swing open again, and tears welled in her eyes as she caught sight of the man who was both familiar and a stranger, the brother she'd missed out on a lifetime with.

He looked so much like their father that she'd recognize him anywhere, Jane thought as they gazed at one another for one long moment before racing to embrace one another in a side hug due to her huge belly, both of them nearly overcome with emotion. "This is . . . this is not how I thought this first meeting would go," Jane admitted when they finally pulled apart, gesturing to her hospital gown and surroundings.

"I'm just glad we're getting to have this first meeting," Ian choked out. He never could have imagined when he'd answered that knock on his door today what a wonderful surprise was waiting for him. A sister, back from the dead . . . and a soon-to-be nephew. "I remember seeing you on the news a couple years back. I wish I'd known . . ."

She was thankful he hadn't. That _she_ hadn't. It would have just been one more weapon in Shepherd's arsenal to use against her. She would forever be thankful that he had deemed Ian too young to be of any use to him and had lost track of him. "Have you always lived in New York?"

"I was raised upstate, but I moved to the city after I graduated from college," Ian told her. "I always knew I'd been adopted, and my parents shared with me all they knew about where I'd come from. I wish we'd known you were alive. They would have taken you in in a heartbeat."

She wished that too, for an instant . . . until she realized that if that had happened, she never would have met Kurt. She glanced over at him, holding her hand out to him, and he instantly stepped to her side, wrapping an arm around her. "I think it all worked out the way it was supposed to," she said, torn between regret at all she had lost and delight at all she had to look forward to.

Ian smiled as he observed the two of them. He hadn't been sure what to make of the gruff FBI director initially, but hearing the softening in his voice when he spoke of Jane and seeing them together now alleviated any concerns he might have had. "You definitely found yourself a good guy."

"The perfect one for me," Jane agreed as another contraction hit, and she panted slightly as Kurt ushered her back to the bed, lifting her legs onto it and tucking her back in. "What about you, Ian? Have you found the right woman yet?"

"I have, actually." Ian dragged a chair closer to the bed as Kurt took a seat beside Jane, never relinquishing his hold on her hand. "Her name is Jenny, and she can't wait to meet you. She's out in the waiting room with Patterson. We met in college and are planning to be married soon. I just finished seminary and was ordained as a minister," he explained.

"Wow." Jane was stunned by the news, by how like he was of what she remembered of their father. "So you followed in our father's footsteps." Her breath caught in her throat as another idea occurred to her. "Wait a minute. If you're an ordained minister, does that mean you can marry people?" She locked eyes with Kurt as she asked the question, and she saw a slow smile spread across his face as he realized where she was going with this.

"Yes," Ian replied hesitantly, drawing out the word. "I mean, I haven't yet, but I can."

Jane smiled. "In that case, how would you feel about marrying us now? We've had our license for a while, but I've been dragging my heels until I found you." And she was glad now she had. It would be doubly special to have her brother perform the ceremony—and to be a family, as Kurt wanted, before the baby arrived.

"I'd be honored," Ian said huskily, and with that, it was settled.

Sarah was dispatched back to the apartment to get the license and the rings; Ian brought Jenny in to meet Jane while Kurt summoned the team; and in short order, Jane was standing at the foot of the hospital bed next to Kurt pledging her life to his with both of her families gathered around her.

Twenty-two hours later, they gathered again to meet her newborn son, and Jane couldn't keep the tired grin off her face as she watched the group carefully pass him from one to the next. This life was going to be everything she had dreamed of and more, and she was so thankful she and Kurt had chosen to lay aside their differences and take Rich Dotcom's advice.

She was thankful they had followed their hearts.


End file.
